There is nothing especially special about Trafalgar Park from a design standpoint: it’s a big park with a bunch of big fields that are good to play sports.

There are a few things that elevate it though. One is the hedge-covered fence for the main baseball field; a neat old-school touch in a city where many of the fields have a samey quality. There’s also a cricket pitch, one of just five in the city. 

Those elements, plus washrooms, go a long way, but it’s the playground that is the big selling point — while technically in the elementary school boundaries and paid for by parents, it blends into the park such that there is no discernible difference. 

And it’s a great playground! Potentially the best on the west side of the city (most of the modern play spaces have gone to the eastside and downtown in the last 20 years because of population trends), with a triple slide structure and one of the biggest climbing diamonds around. 

Plus, there’s the visual of the houses on top of Arbutus Ridge peering down at the park, giving a unique vibe compared to many inland parks that are more geographically bland. 

There are a few non-destination neighbourhood parks in the city that are a bit more extensive, or slightly more vibrant, but it’s hard to find much wrong with Trafalgar — and a lot to find that’s good.