This past weekend, it seemed that thousands of Torontonians flooded into High Park to catch a glimpse of the cherry blossom trees in full bloom… and I was one of them! Despite the cold and windy weather we endured on Saturday, by Sunday every tree in the park was flowering. In 1959, the Japanese ambassador to Canada gave Toronto the gift of 2000 Japanese “Somei-Yoshino Sakura” trees. The trees were planted in appreciation of Toronto accepting re-located Japanese-Canadians following World War II. Throughout the years many more have been planted in this 400-acre-park, and today they can be found all along west pathway and on the hillside overlooking Grenardier Pond.

And who could endure such a gorgeous walk without washing it all down with a pitcher of cold beer? Thank you Creemore Springs for brewing up such a creamy brew!

According to their website, “High Park is the jewel of Toronto’s park system with over one million visitors annually. The park, over one-third of which remains in a natural state, is home to many species of wildlife, including birds, fish and animals. High Park is features many hiking trails, sports facilities, diverse vegetation, a beautiful lakefront, convenient parking, easy pubic transit access, a dog park, a zoo, playgrounds for chidren, a couple of eateries, greenhouses, picnic areas, a bunch of squirrels and various events throughout the year”.

I shot the following photographs with the intention of isolating some of the gorgeous features of the parklands and habitat.