Pinball repair shop in Montreal’s Notre-Dame-de-Grâce neighbourhood is full of nostalgia

A local vintage pinball machine store is the place to be in Montreal’s Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (NDG) neighbourhood.

If you’re looking for nostalgia or just want to play some old video games, Pinball Medics has everything a Gen X kid could hope for.

Pinball Medics Montreal is home to some of the best classic pinball machines and arcade games in Canada.

“It sprung into action in the early ’90s when all the arcades started closing down and there was nowhere to play anymore,” said owner Mike Loftus.

“I thought, ‘I am going to have to buy one if I want to keep playing,’ so that’s where it started in 1992. I bought my first pinball machine,” he added.

Thirty years later, Loftus retired from his full-time job and turned his passion into a business, first opening a shop in Ottawa and later in Montreal.

“We’ve been working between the two locations ever since.”

The Montreal store opened in July 2021 and serves as a repair and parts shop and re-seller of classic arcade games.

“This is not a type of thing where you know it all, every day. Every pinball that you get is a different challenge,” said Loftus’ partner, Rob Krantzberg.

“Squirrel’s nests are typical, rodent nests are typical, extensive cat urine damage, we’ve seen it all,” claimed Loftus.

The shop offers troubleshooting and everything from board repairs, LED upgrades, tune-ups and electronic and mechanical repairs. You can even try before you buy if you’re in the market for your own pinball machine.

Every Friday night from 5-10 p.m. it’s $10 unlimited play and kids get in free with a paying adult. Although vintage games are a business and the pinball machines don’t come cheap, both partners are in it for love.

“It’s like skipping school and hanging out at the arcade every day,” said Loftus.

“I feel like I’m retired already,” said Krantzberg.

“Big kid is not the word, it’s even more than that. Its fun, it’s just fun.”