Sure, it’s only November, but Toronto has gotten off pretty easy thus far in terms of winter weather. But with the barometer dropping this weekend and flurries in the forecast, it seems as though patio season is officially over—or is it?
Not if Patrick McMurray, owner of The Ceili Cottage in Leslieville, has anything to do with it. His plan to keep Jack Frost from crashing the party involves more than just a few heat lamps: he built a yurt.
McMurray is dubbing the new winterized retreat “Travelers Rest,” although it’s unclear just how much actual resting will take place inside. Upon completion (right now it’s unfurnished), the yurt will seat 20-30 people (on chairs and tables made by shop students at a local school) and all of The Ceili Cottage’s menu items will be available inside. McMurray (who in previous years has turned his patio into an ice rink) says that the yurt is still a work in progress, but it will be open as of tonight for standing room only crowds.
The Ceili Cottage, 1301 Queen St. E., 416-406-1301. ceilicottage.com.
—Rebecca Fleming
