This Guelph board game convention wants to be a safe space for women

A new board game convention in Guelph, Ont., aims to address a growing desire for inclusivity in the niche community.

Beaver Con is a triannual event organized and hosted by Donna Leader, who saw what she calls a "want" for more spaces that include female and female-passing players. 

"I don't want to say that it happens all the time, but some of them are intimidated to go to [conventions] because it's very male dominated," Leader told CBC News during a Beaver Con event in January. 

Beaver Con was created out of what Leader said was the desire to have a safe environment to learn and build confidence in table top board gaming. After COVID-19, she said she noticed board games becoming all the rage.

It's not just a holiday pastime. Certain table top board games, like Crokinole, seem to be rising in popularity in Canada.

Leader joined a women's board game group in Burlington, the Burlington Board Game Gals, and was inspired to create her own, more local group: the Guelph Board Game Gals. 

"It's more of a social aspect there," she said. "We come for dinner and then we play a couple of hours worth of games."

But the inspiration for a convention didn't come until much later. When as she met more players, Leader noticed a pattern in the stories people were telling. 

Pam Ellis, for example, heads the Burlington Board Game Gals and has been to many co-ed conventions where she found herself uncomfortable. 

"It's an off-colour remark, a comment about my body, a comment about what my husband must think of me playing games, a comment about whether I will be over sensitive, and often people questioning whether I'm cheating when I'm good at a game," Ellis said.

Ellis said Beaver Con was much more welcoming.

"The [conventions] are built by the people who attend it, and I came away from [Beaver Con] saying that was the best board gaming convention I've ever gone to," Ellis said.

Angela Jessom said board gaming in general has been the best way for her to reach out to people since the COVID-19 pandemic. 

"I wanted to redevelop my network and really expand my friendship circle," Jessom said. "I found that Board Game Gals and Beaver Con was an opportunity to continue to do that, to build those relationships and expand the network."

She said she appreciates a safe space where women can learn and explore games together. 

"It's great to have people who are really welcoming and warm to be able to support you and help you through that."

Growing the market for board games: 'You're going the wrong way'

Tanya Pobuda is a Canadian expert on gender and table top gaming who successfully defended their dissertation on the topic in 2022. They also teach at Toronto Metropolitan University.

Pobuda said that historically, board games have been about 10 years behind video games and technology in responding to changing audiences.

"I've had people who have been board gaming for decades who said things like their board game convention is whiter than Wonder Bread," Pobuda said. 

Pobuda said intersectional representation is a large concern in board game conventions, where they've seen and heard examples of blatant racism, sexism and misogyny. 

There's also the idea that board gaming can be inaccessible based on time and money limitations. 

"Board gaming tends to be a very affluent pursuit," Pobuda said.

Historically, they said there may be backlash to movements that aim to include a more diverse representation of board gamers. 

Sandra Danilovic, who is an assistant professor in game design and development at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, says Gamergate was one of the more culturally relevant times in history where it became obvious just how much vitriol women faced in gaming spaces. 

The 2014-15 campaign spearheaded hate messages against women in the online gaming world. 

"Sexism is and has been a huge problem in the gaming industry for quite a long time," said Danilovic.

Pobuda said that the same response to representation in board gaming is occurring even now, with companies still directing their marketing toward the white male demographic. 

"I used to say to the board game industry folks that I spoke to that you're going the wrong way if you want to grow this sector," they said. 

Board game YouTuber Jenna Beasley runs a channel called the Board Game Garden. She said it helps to have a visible support group. 

"There are so many amazing board games that have so many fun themes that can appeal to so many people," Beasley said. 

Pobuda said there's a balance between carving out specific spaces for diversity while trying to support people at co-ed conventions themselves.

In their research, Pobuda quoted someone who said they refuse to leave the room at co-ed conventions because sometimes that is the only form of activism they have. 

"I have a tendency to feel the same way … where I'm just going to force myself to stay, no matter how uncomfortable it is, no matter how unwelcome I've been made to feel because I might be helping someone in the future … I could be that anchor for somebody. But it is really tough."