Burlington Mundialization Committee Coordinates Virtual Celebration of Spring, Including Live Stream of Japanese Cherry Blossoms in Spencer Smith Park

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*Please see below a news release issued by the City of Burlington.Burlington, Ont. — April 22, 2021 — The City of Burlington’s Mundialization Committee invites residents to celebrate spring and the city’s friendship with its twin cities, Apeldoorn, the Netherlands and Itabashi, Japan.To help limit the spread of COVID-19 and following the current provincial Stay-at-Home order, all celebrations will be held virtually this year.Virtual Sakura FestivalThis year’s virtual Sakura Festival commemorates Burlington’s 32-year twin-city friendship with Itabashi, Japan and includes:

  • Live photo stream of cherry blossoms: Follow the progress of the Japanese cherry blossoms on the Sakura trees in Spencer Smith Park as they get ready to burst into bloom over the coming weeks, with a live photo stream available on burlington.ca/CherryBlossoms. Through the photo stream, residents can view new photos of the trees, taken every day, or select the time lapse feature to see the progression of the blooms to date.
  • Videos celebrating Japanese culture: Between May 5 – 12, follow the City's social media channels, @cityburlington on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, for videos featuring traditional Japanese performances in music, dance and more.

Canada Netherlands DayThis year’s virtual celebration recognizes the 76th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands by the Canadian Armed Forces and the 16th anniversary of Burlington’s twinning with the City of Apeldoorn.

  • May 5 - Follow the City's social media channels, @cityburlington on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, to see two videos featuring distinguished guests, and musical performances from groups in Apeldoorn and Burlington. Highlights include a speaker who shares his experiences as a small boy at the end of World War II, and a unique performance by elementary school students from Trinity Christian School in Burlington.

MAYOR MEED WARD'S TAKE:The cherry blossoms of the Sakura trees in Spencer Smith Park are one of our city’s most picturesque landmarks our community, and visitors, look forward to every year. This year, as we do our part to limit large outdoor gatherings, this virtual experience means that residents can enjoy these beautiful pink blooms no matter where there are.I’m also looking forward to commemorating an important milestone in Canada Netherlands Day marking the 76th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands by Canadian Armed Forces – arguably the birth of the deep connection and friendship between our two nations. We are very fortunate in Burlington to have formed strong friendships with our twin cities – Itabashi, Japan and Apeldoorn, the Netherlands -- and I thank our Mundialization Committee for coordinating this year’s virtual events in honour of these important and special relationships.Quick Facts:

  • The Mundialization Committee is one of several City of Burlington Council appointed advisory committees, each made up of a group of volunteers from the community.
  • Burlington’s Mundialization Committee strives to:
    •  connect Burlington to the world through events and initiatives
    • promote the City of Burlington as "A World Community" dedicated to the United Nations philosophy of peaceful co-operation among the peoples of the world
    • encourage community understanding of different cultures global issues.
  • Sakura cherry blossoms have become a symbol of friendship between Canada and Japan, and many people today enjoy Hanami (blossom viewing).

Links and Resources:

—PLEASE NOTE: To stay updated on what the City of Burlington is doing regarding COVID-19, please visit the dedicated pages burlington.ca/coronavirus (and subscribe) and bit.ly/mayormeedwardCOVID19updates, and our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page — bit.ly/COVID19BurlingtonFAQ that are updated as new information becomes available.A consolidated page for information and updates on the work of the provincial Ministers’ COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force is available at bit.ly/COVIDVaccineUpdates.Halton Region has also created a dedicated COVID-19 Vaccine webpage at halton.ca/covidvaccines for up to date information on the status of our COVID19 vaccination program.A Burlington COVID-19 Task Force has been created to help support our community through this unprecedented emergency — updates will be provided at burlington.ca/COVID19taskforce.To report an incident of non-compliance with provincial emergency orders, please contact the Halton Regional Police Service COVID-19 Hotline: 905-825-4722.We’ve also created a dedicated page to feature the local organizations and businesses that have inspired us during the COVID-19 pandemic by taking action to support our community in new and creative ways — head to bit.ly/covidwallofinspiration.HELPFUL RESOURCES & RELATED LINKS:

--*Posted by John Bkila, Mayor's Media and Digital Communications Specialist

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