High Park will be livestreaming its iconic cherry blossoms this year to avoid the massive crowds that typically flock to the park each spring to take in the bloom at its peak. The city has determined that there’s just too much risk involved in bringing so many people together during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a press release issued by the city, “the City is working on a virtual walk-through of the blossoming trees in High Park. Residents will be able to experience this year’s cherry blossom season through multiple livestream events and videos. More details will be announced soon.” This decision is based on the Medical Officer of Health’s recommendation to stop the spread of COVID-19.
It might seem like outdoor spaces would be safe enough for physical distancing, but the fervor over the cherry blossoms would likely draw too many people to maintain safety standards. There was plenty of speculation about the status of High Park leading up to cherry blossom season, but the official announcement of the closure finally came yesterday.
To clarify, the park isn’t entirely gated off, but the park is closed to vehicles and the amenities inside it have been closed as well. Authorities will be making sure that people abide by government orders to maintain physical distance and refrain from congregating in groups. The park will be fully closed during the pre-bloom and peak bloom of the cherry blossoms. These dates will be determined based on when the blooms peak.
According to the press release, “violations related to accessing a closed City park can result in a set fine of $750 if a ticket is paid voluntarily, but the maximum fine can be $5,000.”
Despite a municipal bylaw that orders residents to maintain a two-metre distance in all parks and public squares, many have disregarded the rules. Over the weekend, the city received over 150 complaints and police officers issued 28 tickets to people who were not practising physical distancing in parks. That brought the total number of tickets to 401, with plenty of warnings along the way.
“Hundreds of vehicles were turned away from Bluffers Park” and “a number of people attempted to ignore pylons and closure signs in Palace Pier Park to gather at Sheldon Lookout” over the weekend, says the city’s press release. Needless to say, this behaviour set a bad precedent in terms of how effectively people might be able to catch the cherry blossoms without encroaching on each other’s space.
Those hoping that Trinity Bellwoods Park might offer an alternate opportunity to get a fill of cherry blossoms should be forewarned that the city contends that it “remains the most problematic park in the city when it comes to people flaunting regulations in place to stop the spread of COVID-19 and save lives.” In other words, it’s likely to be monitored very carefully in the days ahead.
On the bright side, at least the trees will be spared from all those people who insist on climbing and pulling down branches to get the perfect selfie. In fact, a livestream sounds rather serene compared to the usual frenzy brought on by peak bloom. More information on what exactly the city’s programming will look like will be made available soon.
