May 2024
Every spring, around the middle of April to early May, the charry blossom trees come to life after their winter dormancy period. Each spring, the tree branches become covered with double petal blossoms, making it look like a flower within a flower. These deep-pink blossoms grow in clusters, making the trees look like they are covered with thousands of small roses.
Cherry blossom trees are native to China, Korea and Japan, but the trees will grow in most soils and most climates. They arrived in Canada back on 1 April 1959, when Toru-Hagiwara, the Japanese Ambassador to Canada, as a gift from the citizens of Tokyo to the citizens of Toronto, in gratitude for their support of Japanese-Canadian refugees after the World War II.
Many of the cherry blossom trees in Ontario were a gift from Japan as a part of the Sakura Project, a 1990 named after the Japanese word for cherry blossom, which are an important part of Japanese culture. As their presence is fleeting, cherry blossoms symbolize the transience of life, a major theme in Buddhism.
Numerous locations around southern Ontario provide a great opportunity to enjoy this annual treat. Some of the best locations include High Park in Toronto, Spencer Smith Park in Burlington, the Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton/Burlington and Gage Park in Hamilton.
A jewel in Hamilton’s park system
Gage Park was established in 1918, when Alderman Thomas McQuesten encouraged City Council to purchase 64-acres of the Gage family farm from Robert Russell Gage, a descendent of William Gage (1744-1820), one of Hamilton’s earliest residents. This plot of land, in the shadow of the Niagara Escarpment, had previously been the home of the Hamilton Riding and Driving Park, where the 1866 and 1874 running of The Queen’s Plate Race took place. This facility closed in 1883, when the Hamilton Jockey Club opened on Barton Street.
Today, the Gage Family Fountain pays tribute to this iconic City of Hamilton family.
Sources: PARK MAP & FEATURES – Friends of Gage Park (thefriendsofgagepark.ca), Cherry blossoms will soon peak; here’s where to see them in Ontario | insauga, Sakura Project at the University of Toronto | Heritage U of T (utoronto.ca), Cherry Blossom History – High Park Nature Centre.
