girlenrouteThis is a beloved Spring Tradition in Toronto and people from all over the world come to catch a glimpse of the pink flowers blooming.
History: Canada was gifted 2000 Sakura trees in 1959 by the Japanese ambassador. They were planted in appreciation to Toronto for accepting relocated Japanese Canadians following the second world war.
The best time to see the cherry trees in full bloom is late April or early May. My personal advise would be to now wait for too long as the peak bloom lasts only a couple of days.
Most of the Sakura cherry trees are located around Hillside Gardens and there are a few by the Duck Pond as well. Though High park is the more famous location to witness the bloom, the other locations that you can find the Sakura trees are Etobicoke’s Centennial Park, Trinity Bellwoods park, Woodbine Park, Birkdale Ravine and some on Centre Island.
It may not sound very thrilling for most people to walk through a park observing the bloom but take a moment to understand Mother Nature and the beginning of a beautiful season in an otherwise cold country.
For people like me, that moved to Toronto just as the snow was setting in, this is one of my earliest memories of getting out of the sad winter state of mind and falling in love with Spring which gave me hope for a beautiful summer ahead.
Due to the Coronavirus, High Park is closed at the moment but thanks to the City of Toronto, you can watch it live on their 24 hour Bloom cam on the following link: https://www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/festivals-events/cherry-blossoms/
