These trees were planted in 1937 by the Japanese Canadian community

in Victoria. Just a few years later, some 300 Japanese Canadian families were taken from Victoria to internment camps in the interior during WW2. After the war, none of the families came back to Victoria. They settled in Alberta or headed east to Ontario. Every Spring, the cherry blossoms bloom in Victoria, so beautiful, so hopeful. And every year, it reminds us of the wrong we did to Japanese Canadians in WW2, and the blossoms remind us to never again make the mistakes of our past.
I can’t stop thinking about this as violence against Asian communities erupts across North America against our East Asian community. Never again, we said...but still it continues and still, the blossoms come and bring us hope for a better future.