Hudson's Bay Company shuts down after 355 years

[Glenn MacGrady]

Hudson's Bay Company, which was North America's oldest company and once owned one-third of Canada, has closed all its stores and shut down.

Gallery: Remembering The Bay

After 355 years, the Hudson’s Bay Company has closed its doors. The longstanding business grew as a fur-trading company and transitioned into a department store. Over recent years, it’s been in a stat...

www.winnipegfreepress.com

Of course, HBC was intimately involved with the spread of canoeing in Canada, a history that members here may be willing to recall and interested to discuss.

 

[Boatman53]

The company ended a far cry from what it used to be. Sad.
Jim

 

[snapper]

Wow...a real bit of history has come to an end. Really a sad day.

Until next time...be well.

snapper

 

[recped]

The "real" death of Hudson's Bay came in 2006 when it was taken over by Jerry Zucker. Unfortunately (maybe) Zucker died two years later and since then it bounced around with various hedge fund types and made stupid moves like taking over Saks 5th Ave. It hadn't really been much a store since the early 1980's.

But don't worry, Canadian Tire bought the name, logo, coat of arms and rights to the 4 stripe design used on the original Hudson Bay Blankets.

 

[Gamma1214]

I really need to hit a Canadian Tire next trip North. I've been to Timmy's & discovered the awesome fritters of Voyageur's General Store... seems like I should get the full experience.

 

[recped]

Canadian Tire (Crappy Tire as I call it) is another retailer WAY past it's prime, I'd rank it only slightly higher than Wally World.

When I was a kid (60+ years ago) it was a cool place to visit. Back then it was more of a catalogue store, you went up to a counter, leafed through the catalogue and placed your order, all the employees wore roller skates and would go flying through the endless rows of shelves behind the counter to pick your order or bring out samples for you to look at.

 

[memaquay]

There was a Hudson's Bay store in Nakina up until a few years ago. When I came to the area 35ish years ago, it still sold freighter canoes and regular bush stuff and groceries. Since its closing, Nakina is now without any kind of grocery store, although it does have a fully stocked liquor store.

As recep mentioned, Crappy Tire is pretty close to a Walmart now, nothing special at all. Last time I was there, it took me an hour to buy something, as one pimply faced teenager after another claimed that another person would have to help me.

 

[scratchypants]

Simpson's, Eaton's, The Bay - anchor points of "the mall". Montreal's Eaton's Centre was (is?) a jewel. Anyone remember Pascal's hardware/furniture?

 

[Sturgeon]

Are the American department stores dying, too? I remember as a kid Carson Pirie Scott in Minneapolis...still there? JC Penny, Montgomery Ward?

When I was a kid, S.S. Kresge's and Eaton's anchored the downtown in Port Arthur, and Chapple's anchored downtown Fort William, both now parts of Thunder Bay, Ontario. K-Mart and Zellers anchored the 'suburban' malls. There was also a chain called McLeod's. All gone now. Just Canadian Tire and Walmart left, with Giant Tiger picking up the slack.

I have mixed feelings about the HBC. A big part of Canadian history, to be sure, but not always benevolent force for good. At least the historical legacy is preserved in the Archives in Winnipeg.

My mom used to make regular trips to Toronto or Winnipeg to hit the Bay.

 

[kahel]

Hudson's Bay Company, which was North America's oldest company and once owned one-third of Canada, has closed all its stores and shut down.

incredible! How can anyone allow something like this to happen?
These are terrible times we have to live in at the moment!

WHERE is all this going to lead?