École Élémentaire Catholique George-Étienne Cartier

Equipment by Vant, Henderson.

Surface: wood chips.

We discovered this one almost by accident when my son was deep in his “soccer is life” phase. Our favourite soccer spot at nearby Earl Beatty was being used for a camp, so I took a quick look at Google Maps in desperation, and spotted the artificial turf field at this tiny French Catholic school.

The playground isn’t amazing, but the location gives it a really cozy vibe: tucked away from the surrounding streets, the school yard slopes up toward an embankment where the occasional Go Train rushes by.

An old Henderson climber is still in good shape, with some nice monkey bars and a net climber. The soccer turf serves its purpose, although it should be noted that if you miss your target, there’s no fence to prevent the ball from rolling away.

The strength of this playground is actually the fenced area that appears to cater to younger kids. There’s a small climber featuring several animals, and a variety of tactile play options all made out of wood: one section meant to mimic a kitchen, a small up-and-down wooden ramp perfect for toddlers testing out their balance.

I especially like the idea to include planters with Plexiglas walls, so that curious little ones can see a cross-section of the soil from which the flowers are sprouting. It’s a nice touch.

You can access the school yard via Coxwell by way of a tiny patch of green space called “Coxwell Avenue East Parkette.” Which is interesting because “Coxwell Avenue East” is not a thing. The City signage doubles down on the mistake and gives the parkette’s address as being on the non-existent “Coxwell Avenue East”.

Across the street is a twin parkette signed as “Coxwell Avenue Parkette West” (note the correct placement of the word ‘west’). This one features a small climber and some extra hidden green space, making it a good alternative if the school yard at Cartier is busy.