Consul-General and Sakura Committee Chair Hisao Yamaguchi and
Hamilton Mayor Larry Di Ianni plant a Sakura sapling in T.B. McQuesten Park
After successful plantings at Bayfront Park and McMaster University, the Sakura Project marked its third donation in Hamilton with a ceremony at T.B. McQuesten Park and the Canadian Japanese Cultural Centre (CJCC) on Nov. 23. The ceremony commemorating the donation of 10 trees was attended by 55 people, including Consul-General of Japan and Sakura Committee Chair Hisao Yamaguchi, Hamilton Mayor Larry Di Ianni, City Councillors Bob Bratina and Bill Kelly, and National Association of Japanese Canadians (NAJC) – Hamilton Chapter President Joyce Hirasawa. After a ceremonial planting and the unveiling of the commemorative plaque at the park by Mr. Yamaguchi and Mayor Di Ianni, the second part of the ceremony was held at the CJCC.
"The Sakura Committee felt it was very appropriate that T.B. McQuesten Park be chosen as one of the sites receiving trees from the Sakura Project. Hamilton has been involved in a successful sister-city relationship with the city of Fukuyama, in Hiroshima Prefecture, since 1975," explained Mr. Yamaguchi. "Projects such as this give the people of Hamilton a sense of ownership in their city's fruitful relationship with Fukuyama. For this reason, I personally feel this donation is of great importance."
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Mr. Yamaguchi and Mayor Di Ianni unveil the plaque commemorating the planting.