8 h. ago Toronto's foremost cherry blossom expert is getting honoured by Japan

Toronto's most iconic cherry blossom expert is getting his well-deserved flowers as he receives a special honour from Matsunaga Takeshi, Consul-General of Japan.It's almost impossible to discuss Toronto's breathtaking High Park cherry blossoms without the city's resident sakura expert, who fittingly goes by the name Sakura Steve online, entering the discourse.Steven Joniak, the man behind Sakura in High Park, has been Toronto's (and blogTO's) source for cherry blossom updates ever since he launched his website in 2012, supplementing his journey with extensive research on the trees.To date, Steve is the foremost authority for Toronto residents keen to catch the peak bloom every year, providing weekly updates and, at times, braving less-than-ideal conditions from March to May as the trees progress.While Steve has certainly earned his fair share of recognition over the years, he's now about to receive an official honour for all of his contributions...

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54 h. ago Cherry blossoms in Toronto could start their 2025 bloom this week

Cherry blossoms across Toronto could begin their 2025 bloom within the coming week as warmer temperatures and sunny days finally appear here to stay.After a clunky start to spring, with snowstorms surprising Toronto residents well into March and cold snaps stalling the growth of plant life in the city, the warmer weather appears to truly be here to stay. Finally.For many in the city, that means populating your social calendar with open-air concerts and patio cocktail plans, but it also marks the return of one of Toronto's most spectacular natural sights: the annual cherry blossom bloom at High Park.While it can be tricky to time your trips out just right so that you catch the blossoms in peak form, Toronto's resident cherry blossom expert, Sakura Steve, has his finger on the pulse, keeping sakura enthusiasts informed with comprehensive updates on their development.According to his latest observations, the bloom may just be upon us sooner rather than later.After chi...

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9 d. ago Fencer disqualified for taking knee against trans athlete invited to testify before Congress

A female fencer who was disqualified after refusing to compete against a transgender athlete in a women’s bout has been invited to testify before Congress. Stephanie Turner, 31, opted to take a knee instead of fence against 20-year-old Redmond Sullivan, who was born male, at USA Fencing’s Cherry Blossom Open in Maryland last month. In […]

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1 week ago Toronto’s ‘cherry blossom watch’ says it’s almost time for popular spring pilgrimage

Toronto's largest public park says its famous cherry blossom trees are showing their first signs of impending bloom.

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1 week ago Looks like Toronto has to wait a little longer for 2025's cherry blossom bloom

As the spring weather blooms into full effect, Toronto residents are eagerly awaiting one of the most highly anticipated events — the cherry blossoms in High Park.Local cherry blossom expert, Sakura Steve, has been keeping his weekly updates, and given an update on when we can expect the cherry blossoms to hit full bloom.After a recent visit to High Park, he showcased that the current buds are sitting at Stage Two in their blooming process. That means little progress has been made from last week's green-tipped babies into fuller, rounder buds — but that’s a good thing.Because Toronto experienced colder-than-usual weather during April, this stage of the process has kept the buds safe and secure to combat the harsher climate.Steven notes that, if the buds had progressed to Stage Three or Four, they would've likely been damaged.But this comes with the downside of the cherry blossoms being stuck at Stage Two, delaying their development by a short while — as ...

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1 week ago A massive sand dune is coming to the middle of downtown Toronto

While much of Toronto's downtown core can best be described as a concrete jungle, one area is getting a particularly intriguing dose of nature this summer in the form of an enormous artificial sand dune.The onslaught of warmer temperatures and sunny days signals the return of some of Toronto's most celebrated spring and summer traditions, from outdoor concerts at Budweiser Stage to the cherry blossom bloom at High Park, but this year, the city is also gearing up for some interesting new events and attractions to keep things fresh.Down at The Bentway, Toronto's reclaimed public space under the Gardiner Expressway, there's a particularly vibrant suite of programming scheduled to take place throughout the season, including the return of their popular roller skating rink and Art Socials.Some additions for the 2025 spring and summer season promise to be a little bit more... unique, though, like Sand Flight, an immersive dance performance that takes place atop an enormous sand d...

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2 w. ago Here's when you could see Toronto's cherry blossoms in full bloom for 2025

After a few false starts, there's no denying now that spring has officially sprung in Toronto, and with it comes the return of one of the city's most spectacular sights: the annual cherry blossom bloom in High Park.It's been a rollercoaster few weeks for Toronto, weather-wise, after blustry lows, an ice storm, biblical levels of rain fall and, to cap it all off, a summerlike Thursday with temperatures reaching 20 degrees Celsius. Not that I'm complaining — not about that last part, at least — but I couldn't help wondering how the dramatic temperature swings would affect the city's most-anticipated plant life.But according to the latest update from Toronto's resident cherry blossom expert, Sakura Steve, High Park's cherry blossoms appear to be utterly unfazed by the unpredictable weather.Steve says that, even in spite of nearly every type of weather imaginable being unleashed on the city within a seven-day span, the buds are continuing to grow, and have off...

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3 w. ago Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival is on: Here's what to know

Annual celebration of Japan and the blooms of spring across the city returns with a fair, pop-ups, block parties, walks, rides and more

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