Hudson’s Bay Company ULC, the corporate parent of Canadian department store Hudson’s Bay, has announced plans to auction off some of its most historically significant artifacts. The move comes as the company continues to navigate its ongoing restructuring under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA), following its March filing for creditor protection.
The proposed auction, which remains subject to court approval, will be conducted separately from the company’s broader Sale and Investment Solicitation Process (SISP). According to a press release issued by Hudson’s Bay on Wednesday evening, the auction will include a range of culturally and historically significant items—among them, the Company’s Royal Charter granted in 1670 by King Charles II, a foundational document in the formation of Canada.
A Separate Auction for Canada’s Corporate Heritage
Hudson’s Bay and its financial advisor, Reflect Advisors, LLC, in consultation with the court-appointed monitor Alvarez & Marsal, determined that the art and artifact sale should be handled independently of the broader restructuring process. This separation will allow the auction to receive the specialized attention it demands.
“The care, consideration, and expertise required for these pieces can be fully prioritized through a separate process facilitated by a fine art auction house,” the company said in the statement.
While details about the timing and format of the auction are still to be announced, the intention is to invite interested parties to participate in what could be one of the most important corporate heritage sales in Canadian history.
The Hudson’s Bay Company Collection: A Window into Canadian History
The sale will include items drawn from Hudson’s Bay’s corporate collection, which includes a vast range of artifacts tied to Canada’s colonial past, the fur trade, and the company’s extensive relationships with Indigenous peoples.
Much of the collection dates back to the 17th and 18th centuries, when HBC began informally accumulating artifacts from its trading posts across Rupert’s Land—a territory once granted to the company under the Royal Charter. These materials later formed the basis of the Hudson’s Bay Company Archives (HBCA), formally established in 1920.
The collection has been described by historians as one of the most significant corporate archives in North America, containing thousands of items that trace Canada’s economic, territorial, and social development.
Key Artifacts of Note
Among the types of items potentially up for auction are:
- Indigenous artifacts, including beadwork, tools, carvings, clothing, snowshoes, and ceremonial objects. Many of these were obtained through trade or collected by employees working in remote posts and are of deep anthropological and cultural importance.
- Fur trade memorabilia, such as beaver pelts, trade tokens, scales, ledgers, and navigational tools, that offer a glimpse into the operations that once drove Canada’s colonial economy.
- Paintings and portraits, including commissioned works depicting HBC governors, Indigenous leaders, and early explorers. These artworks have both historical and aesthetic value.
- Corporate memorabilia, including historic uniforms, promotional materials, and documents from key corporate milestones, such as mergers and anniversaries.
While the bulk of the HBCA was transferred to the Province of Manitoba in 1994 and is housed at the Archives of Manitoba, Hudson’s Bay retained some artifacts and contemporary materials that may form the basis of the upcoming auction.
The Royal Charter: A Centrepiece of the Auction?
The inclusion of Hudson’s Bay’s Royal Charter is particularly noteworthy. The document, issued in 1670 by King Charles II, granted the company trading rights over a vast swath of North America and effectively gave birth to one of the world’s oldest corporations.
The Royal Charter is widely regarded not merely as a corporate document, but as a foundational piece of Canadian history. Its potential sale could generate substantial funds for Hudson’s Bay, while also prompting debate around the privatization of artifacts tied to Canada’s national and cultural heritage.
Indeed, the auction may prompt responses from institutions such as the Archives of Manitoba or Indigenous organizations, who could view the sale of heritage artifacts as controversial or inappropriate amid efforts toward reconciliation.
An Auction with Repercussions Beyond Retail
The upcoming auction raises profound questions about the custodianship of Canadian history, especially as it intersects with the commercial imperatives of a struggling corporation.
The Hudson’s Bay Company has long marketed itself as a symbol of Canadian heritage. Its name and branding evoke the nation’s colonial legacy and deep historical ties to Indigenous communities—relationships that remain complex and, at times, fraught.
Over the years, HBC artifacts have been featured in permanent and touring exhibitions at major institutions such as:
- The Manitoba Museum, home to a Hudson’s Bay Gallery with over 600 displayed items;
- The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), which has included HBC materials in exhibitions related to trade and colonization;
- The Canadian Museum of History, where the company’s role in the fur trade and early settlement is explored.
Artifacts from the collection have also toured through regional museums such as the Glenbow in Calgary.
Reactions from the Heritage and Museum Community
Although the auction process is still in early stages, concern is already mounting in academic and cultural circles.
One museum official, who requested anonymity, said, “We understand the financial context, but we hope that due diligence will ensure that these artifacts do not disappear into private collections abroad.”
There is growing speculation that some cultural institutions may attempt to acquire key items to keep them within the public domain, or that private Canadian collectors with a sense of civic duty could step in.
The Canadian government may also face pressure to intervene or fund acquisitions, especially in light of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, which include the preservation and repatriation of Indigenous cultural heritage.
Court Proceedings and What Comes Next
Hudson’s Bay is currently under creditor protection through the CCAA, a legal framework that allows companies in financial distress to restructure under court supervision. The art auction is a key component of the company’s broader effort to unlock value from its remaining assets.
Information about the auction process, once court-approved, will be made available via the Monitor’s website (www.alvarezandmarsal.com/HudsonsBay), where public documents related to the proceedings are being published.
For additional information:
Visit the court-appointed Monitor’s website: www.alvarezandmarsal.com/HudsonsBay
Or contact the hotline at (416) 847-5157 / email: hudsonsbay@alvarezandmarsal.com
I’m so upset about this article-but thank you for bringing it to the public’s attention. These are Canadian heritage artifacts and I am against them being offered for sale in this manner.
I second this sad direction by Hudson’s Bay. These are indeed icons and auctioning them off would be terrible. Perhaps contacting the federal government and donating them would be a wiser decision.
I hope the majority of the collection ends up in China, as they are Canada’s new owners.
And the government just sits on their hands doing nothing. Shame on them. If these items were suddenly unearthed from a 300 year old underground cache, government’s culture departments and national museums from across the country would be all scrambling to protect the integrity of the historically significant items. The history of the Bay IS the history of Canada and somehow the very Royal Charter may go to the highest bidder to be framed and hung over the fireplace in his lakeside lodges billiard room. Shame!
(and the CBC gets millions to do what? Rebroadcast u.s. orogramming for the most part.) Where is our concerned minister of cultural affairs? In Official Mourning the Passing of 3 centuries of history, I remain:
R.Hamilton.
Think is a disgrace that the history of the Hudson Bay Company and all it’s artifacts are being actioned. All should be given to a museum and displayed as a reminder of the Hudson Bay Company and it’s impact on birth of Canada and Canadian. They failed as a successful business due to mismanagement but now are set to rid all history and supporting artifacts to paid towards their bankruptcy. So terrible 😞
The sale of the foundational document of Canada is not just some sad event in history. It is the moment Canada itself is sold to the highest bidder. That Charter has more power than most people know, it is Canada inc. For sale to the highest bidder. Mr. Carney the bankster, the bankruptcy trustee, has been appointed at this moment of dissolution for a purpose.
What a sad state Canada is in. Hudson’s Bay is a national treasure. Its truly an iconic symbol of Canada. Yet we let is get sold to Americans and end up in this sad state of disrepair. Canadians are to blame for not shopping at The Bay and sitting by as it was sold, how it ended up in Americans hands back in 2005? Its a story nobodies knows about, but that blame is also passed on The Bays management for not giving Canadians a reason to shop at HBC. The people of Canada have been shopping at HBC for over 350 years, it only took Americans under two decades to destroy it.
The government of Canada waste money on so much stuff they should be buying all the HBC collection and opening a museum, we cant let all this history be sold off, we will never get it back. Know its just a store and a company, but HBC means a lot to many people and has history that can never be replaced. Yes some history is not the most positive but we need to keep all the history alive so it doesn’t repeat itself and get lost in time. If i had the money i’d buy the company and assets. Save it and make it Truly Canadian. How can the people of Canada be okay with sending billions of tax dollars overseas but can find a few million in tax dollars to save this important part of Canadian history. Canada feels like a country that is fading away, we need to save this history and make it the Canadian powerhouse it once was. #savethebay #saveHBC #canadaloveshudsonsbay
Adam….. i remember HBC when i was young and they were already almost dead then. I think the only reason HBC survived then was because they bought and absorbed the REAL Canadian store -Simpsons. Now THERE was a great shopping trip. As far as im concerned, HBC should have disappeared back then, but they chose to destroy 2 companies instead…
GLO: Where is the Canadian Government . YOU SCREAM UNITED .