2 weeks Ago
The first page of Hudson’s Bay Co.’s Royal Charter, 1670. Supplied Hudson’s Bay Co.
has announced it intends to auction off historically significant artifacts it still owns, including its 1670 charter that played a pivotal role in the history of Canada. In an announcement on Wednesday evening, Hudson’s Bay said that an auction of its collection of art and artifacts will take place separately from the sale process currently seeking bids for all or part of the company’s assets and operations. Those bids are due by the end of the month.
The Globe and Mail previously reported that the collection was included in a confidential information memorandum, which was sent to potential bidders in the sale process and provided an overview of HBC’s corporate assets. The memorandum, which was obtained by The Globe, advertised “a collection of artwork and items that date back to the company’s role in the founding and development of Canada.” That includes the 1670 royal charter, which granted HBC exclusive trading rights over nearly one-third of the territory that is now Canada.
The document, which includes the wax seal of King Charles II, claimed dominion over that land without the consent of the Indigenous peoples who already resided there. The memorandum obtained by the Globe states that the charter “will be provided special consideration given its important role in Canadian history and significance to the Canadian population.” In Wednesday’s press release, Hudson’s Bay Co.
wrote that it recognized “the extraordinary cultural and historical value of these items,” and that holding a separate auction would take that significance into account. “This approach ensures that 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 release said. Hudson’s Bay and its financial advisor in the sale process, Reflect Advisors LLC, will assist in facilitating the auction.
While many of the Bay’s most prized historical objects and records were donated to the province of Manitoba and the Manitoba Museum in 1994, a number of artifacts – including the charter – are still owned by the company. Those include store paraphernalia, packaging, private-brand items, company awards and plaques. Memorabilia in the collection include a number of Bay point blankets – which have been in continuous production since 1780, and which are a fraught symbol of the fur trade and of colonization.
An art collection, primarily made up of Canadian works, will also be part of the auction. Those artworks include 17th- and 18th-century portraits, historical calendar paintings, Inuit prints and sculptures, and photographic and limited-edition prints. One example of a piece featured in the confidential memorandum is Woman Juggling by Sorosiluto Ashoona, an Inuit graphic artist from Kinngait (Cape Dorset), Nunavut.
Facing a financial crisis, Hudson’s Bay was granted court protection from its creditors on March 7 under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act. It has begun liquidating all but six of its stores across the country – including 74 Hudson’s Bay locations, as well as two Saks Fifth Avenue and 13 Saks Off Fifth stores that the company operates in Canada. Hudson’s Bay is seeking buyers or investors that could keep some of the business going.
But lawyers for the company have told the court that if a plan is not found, the entire company will be forced to wind down operations. The Hudson’s Bay archives have been designated as part of the UNESCO Memory of the World registry, which seeks to preserve “documentary heritage” and ensure continuing public access to important records. The keeper of the Hudson’s Bay Company Archives at the Archives of Manitoba – which were part of the 1994 donation and are separate from the company – told The Globe in an interview earlier this month that she hopes the charter will become part of a public collection.
“It kicks off everything, all the records we have here – records that have been designated by UNESCO as internationally significant heritage resources,” said Kathleen Epp. “It seems like this is the only place for it.”.
