Tucked on the other side of Highway 1 —  in the northern part of the city that is technically still Vancouver, but spiritually Burnaby, this is not up for debate — Charles is a little treasure of a park.

Finding the park takes some effort, owing to the fact it’s between the highway, an extended alleyway and a cluster of light industrial and commercial outlets. 

Get there though, and you’ll find a nice little walking area with a pond and lazy creek full of ducks. There’s good lighting surrounding the pond, and the bike paths make it a bit more accessible, particularly in the winter time. 

There’s not too much more to it than that, but it’s a unique peaceful park that achieves what it’s trying to do, and must be lovely for those working or living nearby for a quiet lunch spot.