Tory looking to reopen High Park soon as cherry blossoms reach end of bloom

Mayor John Tory confirmed that with the High Park cherry blossoms nearing the end of their bloom, Toronto will be looking at a “reopening date soon” for the park.

On Tuesday, Tory said he is looking at a “reopening date soon and pushing to open as soon as it is safe to do so,” only opening the park again at the recommendation of Toronto’s top doctor.

But Tory did note that the City’s livestream of the cherry blossoms — BloomCam — is “proving to be very popular.”

According to the mayor, the livestream has been viewed 125,000 times by more than 57,000 unique visitors. And, 94% indicated they liked the livestream.

• See also:
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  • City of Toronto to close High Park during cherry blossom bloom period
  • Toronto fences Trinity Bellwoods’ cherry blossoms, adds enforcement during bloom period

Tory also said that the Mount Pleasant Cemetery Group is looking to reopen the cemetery the day before or after Mother’s Day, which is Sunday, May 10.

“The cemetery will not be opened on Mother’s Day itself, but on days either side of it,” Tory said.

“Relatives will be able to visit the resting place of loved ones.”

Physical distancing measures will still be enforced, preventing large crowds and only allowing those of the same household to visit together.

“This is a cautious step in a post-COVID world,” Tory said.

And while the mayor said he realized residents are looking forward to the lifting of restrictions and are getting weary of the isolation measures, the City is still in a “deadly pivotal showdown with this virus.”

Because of this, Tory warned residents to respect physical distancing when they wish to be in public spaces as the weather gets warmer.

To date, there have been 6,448 total coronavirus cases with 469 reported deaths in Toronto.