Remembering the Sakura project

It all began May 2000. The Consul-General of Japan Satoshi Hara had a dream to donate 3,000 Japanese Flowering Cherry trees also known as Sakura trees to the province of Ontario to celebrate the strong relationship between our province and his country.

However, due to the prohibitive cost of purchasing the trees, the Japanese government reached out to Vineland. An agreement was entered where Vineland would propagate and deliver the trees to 58 Sakura planting destinations in Ontario. As a thank you, 40 trees were gifted to Vineland to build the on-site Sakura Friendship Garden which is open to the public all year long.