Dave Weber opened his board game shop, Victory Pints, at the corner of Henderson Hwy and Hespeler Ave in May of 2022. Since then, he has been introducing folks to the hobby of board games with just the right game to start with, and helping seasoned players find new and exciting ones to add to their collections. Victory Pints has gained many fans here in the neighbourhood, and also has regulars from as far away as Portage la Prairie, Kenora and Thompson!
EBC talked to Dave to learn more about his business, why he chose Elmwood as well as his dreams for the future.
EBC: Where did the idea for a games store come from?
Dave: Victory Pints was really born out of the pandemic. Before the pandemic I was working as an architectural technologist and would gather with a few friends every week and play board games. Once the lockdown started I wasn’t able to gather with my friends anymore, but I kept watching board game reviews and buying board games. After a while I had a huge pile of games sitting in shrink wrap in my house and I thought to myself, “There must be a better way to put this to use”. I realized that I really enjoyed researching and ordering board games, and I realized that would pretty much be the same job description of a game store manager. So I decided to start a store.
EBC: Why did you choose to open your shop in Elmwood?
Dave: I picked the location because at the time I was living in the North End, and I would find myself stopped at the Henderson/Hespeler intersection very often. When I saw the “For Lease” sign go up at Zed Books, I started mentioning it to my friends, and nearly all of them could name every business on this corner. That’s when I realized that the location would be perfect for getting awareness.
EBC: What are your hopes or dreams for Victory Pints and the Elmwood business scene?
Dave: Wow, dangerous question. I have a few very distant dreams: if my wonderful neighbours at Liberty Tax or Clearly InSight were to leave the building I would certainly consider expanding into their space. Maybe to do a small game-cafe. A longer-term dream for the neighbourhood would be that Hespeler becomes more of a destination street with more shops along it. I think it has great potential.
EBC: Have you found ways to get involved in the adjacent Chalmers or Glenelm neighbourhoods?
Dave: Yes, I believe that local businesses play a very important community role, so I was quick to involve myself in the various community associations. I am partnered with Chalmers Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation for a weekly game night every Friday (as well as other events, such as Pride Week and the Elmwood Night Market) and I did some work with River East Transcona’s RETLife.
I recently moved into Glenelm and am excited to see how I can contribute to the Glenelm Neighbourhood Association (who through their “Meandering Music” event, caused me to fall in love with the neighbourhood and move here). I just want the various community associations to know that their work makes a big difference. This neighbourhood shines because of all the hard work of volunteers.
EBC: How can people stay up to date with what’s happening at the shop?
Dave: The best way to stay up to date is to check our website at victorypints.ca, follow us on Instagram @victory_pints or come out to a Wednesday night game night at Kilter Brewing in St. Boniface.
More Q&A with Dave Weber of Victory Pints
Best part of running a games store?
Chatting with customers and sharing their love of games.
Favourite games, old and new?
My favourite new release is Zoo Vadis, a negotiation game that I had the privilege of playing earlier this year with the guys from the local YouTube channel “All You Can Board.” My favourite older game is Lords of Vegas which is a very back-stabby game about developing the Vegas Strip.
Go-to local spots?
I have been a big fan of JC’s Tacos for a long time (I have celebrated a few birthdays around those colourful tables). And I really like the baking, plum and bacon pizza, and the Salvadorian breakfast at The Elm Pizzeria. I have also been frequenting Charlee’s recently, I love the breakfast special there.
Victory Pints is located at 213 Hespeler Ave. The store is open noon-7 Thursdays and Fridays, 10-7 on Saturdays, and 11-6 on Sundays. There is parking along the side of the building, as well as street parking all along Hespeler.
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