TORONTO – Cherry blossoming is a unique sight. This tradition originated in Japan and took hold outside the borders of the land of the Rising Sun. In Toronto as well as High Park, cherry blossoms – “sakura”- which with their delicacy and brevity of their existence are for the Japanese, the symbol of fragility and at the same time the rebirth of life, are found scattered throughout the city.
Toronto Mayor John Tory has just announced that unlike 2020, the cherry blossom area in High Park will remain open to the public this year throughout the blossoming season. Speaking during the press briefing on Wednesday afternoon, Tory explained that the park will be open to anyone who wants to go out and exercise during the peak blossoming period, but residents are discouraged from gathering around the blossoming cherry blossom trees. “I know that last year many people were disappointed to see the park closed during the cherry blossom period – said the mayor – this year we worked with the public health unit, our park staff and Toronto Police to try to find a way to keep the park open safely so that people can use it while avoiding the large crowds that cherry blossoms would attract in a normal year.” In an effort to deter people’s sheds, staff will install fences around high park cherry trees during the peak blossoming period, and park and city staff will be on-site to monitor the situation.
Anyone who wants to admire the beautiful cherry blossoms in peace will have to do so via the city’s BloomCam live stream that attracted about 200,000 viewers last spring. The camera will be up and running once the peak flowering period begins, which may occur as early as next week. “We are encouraging people not to rush to the park to see cherry blossoms – Tory said – we want people to enjoy flowers virtually and safely, and we still want people to enjoy the park as well.”
But in Toronto, the blossoming of cherry trees can also be admired at the Library of the University of Toronto Robarts Library. There are about 70 and, at the height of flowering, they create a canopy on the short path that leads from Harbord to Huron. A real show.
Centennial Park boasts the largest number of cherry trees in the city after High Park. There are over 400 trees here at various points from the area northeast of the garden in the park greenhouse near Rathburn Road and Centennial Park Blvd.
At Broadacres Park in Etobicoke, there are 100 cherry trees planted in 2002: they are located in the southwest corner of the park near Elderfield Crescent.
Also at Trinity Bellwoods Park, you can immerse yourself in the beauty of cherry blossoms: the path that runs southeast from Trinity Circle has quite a number of young cherry trees.
There are about 30 cherry trees on Centre Island – Toronto Island Park: this is one of the smallest collections worth mentioning, beautiful and all to enjoy.
