Red Claw Gaming is a local game store operating in Fort Road's old town area near 66 street for over 8 years. It is one of the only game stores in northeast Edmonton specializing in tabletop miniatures and hobby supplies.
We catch up with Dave Bibby, current co-owner of Red Claw Gaming, to discuss about the Fort Road area and his business.
How did Red Claw Gaming begin?
Dave: Red Claw Gaming was started because of the growing demand for a tabletop miniature store in north Edmonton. Before I became co-owner, I was originally a customer of this store due to its location and ease of access. Seeing the potential of this store at its current location, two of my friends and I decided to purchase and continue running the store in 2015.
What does Red Claw Gaming offer?
Dave: We mainly focus on tabletop miniatures such as: Warhammer 40k, Bolt Action, Blood Bowl, Age of Sigmar, Warmachine, and Malifaux. However, we have other offerings such as board games, collectible card games, Magic: The Gathering, and a full range of hobby and paint supplies. What makes us unique is our staff's expertise in all the products we offer – we're more than willing to discuss your hobbies with you and suggest recommendations to ensure you find what you are looking for.
In addition, we also have gaming tables for you to play for free and help meet new friends and players; our goal is to create a friendly playing atmosphere. There is a wide variety of terrain for you to play on (scaled for 28mm). These gaming tables are available for use anytime we are open – as long as no events are occurring. Who knows? We might even join in!
What types of events do you offer?
Dave: We run Magic: The Gathering tournaments twice a week, and miniature tournaments once every 3 months. It is a great way to meet new people in the gaming community as we have people coming from all over Alberta to visit our store. Our tournaments are open to the public to participate in for a nominal fee.
Where do your customers come from to visit your Fort Road store?
Dave: Our customers come from all over Edmonton due in part to the easy access from the Belvedere transit centre. Alberta wide, we have customers coming from nearby Fort Saskatchewan to as far as Fort McMurray. Red Claw Gaming on Fort Road is easily accessible from the Yellowhead that connects with the East Henday and we see a lot of customers from Calgary as well.
How has Fort Road evolved in the time that Red Claw Gaming has been in business?
Dave: Fort Road has seen a great deal of development in anticipation of revitalization. The sidewalks have been redone, new landscaping has been put in place, and the ETS transit depot is nearing completion. Despite the stigma of being an “unsafe” neighbourhood, I've had little issues operating my business. As a matter of fact, due to the city of Edmonton's redevelopment of the Fort Road old town area, it has allowed for more foot traffic from the Belvedere transit centre and car traffic from the major arterial roads it connects to such as the Yellowhead (accessible from East Henday), Manning Drive, and Wayne Gretzky Drive.
Currently, the businesses in the Fort Road old town area are not conducive to pedestrians – there are very few shops that cater to consumers compared to Whyte Ave. The only shop that I can think of off the top of my head that is consumer friendly would be Grandma's Attic. Nonetheless, there is great potential to become a community similar to Whyte Ave as more consumer oriented businesses that can cater to foot traffic open. Red Claw Gaming as a business in Fort Road currently serves over 30 customers daily.
How do I get in touch with Red Claw Gaming?
Dave: Red Claw gaming is located at 12820 64 St NW, Edmonton, Alberta T5A 0X7. It is a short 5 minute walk from the Belvedere transit centre. We also have street parking available in the front of the store. We are mostly active on our Facebook page, but also have a website. You can call us at (780)-757-7655. We'd be happy to answer any gaming related questions!
We are open 1PM - 9PM on weekdays, 10AM - 9PM on Saturdays, and 10AM - 6PM on Sundays (as of August 2019).
Update: Red Claw Gaming has recently moved to 13552 Fort Rd NW, Edmonton, AB T5A 1C5