If you were sad to learn Toronto is closing High Park entirely just as the cherry blossoms are beginning to bloom, cheer up.

On Wednesday, the city launched a webcam to stream all the action live.

Mayor John Tory announced last week that the park would be closed entirely when the bloom begins over fears that large crowds would gather amid COVID-19 distancing recommendations.

In a press release, the city said the fleeting pink blooms typically attracts tens of thousands of in-person visitors for a show that lasts between four and 10 days, depending on the weather.

The closure will begin Thursday, the city said, but by Wednesday afternoon, the city’s online version — dubbed “BloomCam” — had already earned a steady viewership in the low hundreds.

At 3:51 p.m., more than 300 people were tuned into to catch three people briefly drifting into the same frame. Rogue, territorial squirrels and curious birds provided further dollops of entertainment — and introduced new characters to the minimalist, marathon stream.

By 4:15 p.m., the crowd had grown to more than 430 people.

The webcam is being billed as a 24-hour experience, although it’s unclear what will happen after the sun sets and the stream goes dark.

In a statement, Tory said the city “made the difficult decision to close the entire park because it is the only way we can keep people from gathering to see the blossoms and risking further spread of COVID-19.”

He continued: “This is about protecting public health and saving lives. I know this will be particularly frustrating for High Park residents who use the park daily for exercise. Thank you for your ongoing understanding that we are following public health advice and we appreciate your sacrifice over the next few days.”

Anyone in violation of the park closure — which includes anyone who enters the park for any reason — can be fined $750 up to $5,000 under existing municipal bylaws, not emergency orders. Enforcement will only be in effect during the pre-bloom and peak bloom period.

Toronto is not the first GTA municipality to turn to a live broadcast. Mississagua is also streaming the bloom, from two different web cams at the Japanese gardens in Kariya Park.

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Ted Fraser is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star’s radio room in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @ted_fraser