The Vancouver Maritime Museum is now home to three Shirofugen ornamental cherry trees, which promise to grace us with gorgeous blossoms later this spring. If you’re in the Kitsilano neighbourhood for a walk, stop by and check them out!
We had originally planned to celebrate the planting of the trees with a picnic, and we were planning to have a booth at the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival Big Picnic on April 12 this year. This would have been the first year that VMM was part of the local festival, and we were looking forward to it. While we cannot be together to celebrate at the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival, #VirtualVMM is here to help. Read on for some historical background and fun cherry blossom inspired crafts and activities that you can do at home.
History of Cherry Blossoms in Vancouver
In the early 1930s, the mayors of Kobe and Yokohama presented the Vancouver Parks Board with 500 Japanese cherry trees. These were planted in Stanley Park by the Japanese Canadian War Memorial to honour the Japanese Canadians who served in WWI. There are now more than 43,000 cherry trees in Vancouver, including more than 50 different varietals or cultivars.
Cherry Blossom Activities
- Cherry Blossom Origami
- Tissue Paper Cherry Blossom Picture
- Cotton Ball Cherry Blossoms
- Cherry Blossom for You & Me Song and Dance
- Japanese Games, like Otedama or Chopsticks
- Cherry Blossom Crossword (printable)
- Cherry Blossom Maze (printable)
- Spring Scavenger Hunt
Share your finished products with us on our social channels. Tag @vanmaritime or use the hashtag #VirtualVMM. Or tell us about your favourite local cherry blossom spot in the comments below.