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April Sakura or Japanese Yoshino Cherry (Prunus yedoensis matsum) in High Park Picnicking under the flower-laden Sakura cherry trees of High Park is a greatly anticipated rite of spring for many Torontonians, a well-earned reward following winter's long chill. There's celebration in the air as crowds revel in the clouds of pink blossoms. Planted more than four decades ago, the two thousand cherry trees in High Park were a gift to Toronto from the citizens of Tokyo. Cascading down the hillside walkway to Grenadier Pond, the trees not only symbolize the friendship between Canada and Japan, they also build on the longstanding Japanese cultural tradition of hanami, or "flower watching." To mark the new millennium, the Sakura Committee, a coalition of Canadian and Japanese people, donated hundreds of Japanese Cherry trees to the city as a goodwill gesture. Planted in parks throughout Toronto, the Sakura endure as a legacy of friendship and, like the High Park trees in spring, remind us of the ephemeral nature of blossoms and of life. Photographs Copyright © Voncenzo Pietropaolo, 2007 Texts Copyright © Lorraine Johnson, 2007 Back To:
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