Yurt of the Week: a photographic tour of an Occupy Toronto yurt

Toronto’s burgeoning anti-capitalist occupation has a new, albeit unlikely, icon—the humble yurt. A group of labour unions, including OPSEU, donated three of the canvas-clad insulated huts—historically used by nomadic tribes in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Mongolia—to give the protesters some winter-friendly shelter. The expansive, bright white domes (which reportedly cost over $20,000 altogether) now stick out against the nylon tents in St. James Park like Rob Ford at a bikini contest. The largest of the structures (about the size of small condo) is still unused, but one has been turned into a medical centre and another is being used as a library. Apparently, boxes and boxes of books—including The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Stephen King’s The Running Man and something called Weird Sex and Snowshoes—have been dropped off at the site (we’re guessing by people who’ve just discovered Kindles and now find paperbacks outmoded). We dropped into the library yurt to see the structure and browse the books. Check out our photographic tour »