Hudson's Bay Company

Founded on May 2, 1670, the Hudson's Bay Company was granted a royal charter by King Charles II, giving it trading rights over the vast region known as Rupert's Land. For much of its early history, it was a fur-trading business, and its growth was deeply tied to the exploration and colonization of northern North America.

Over time, the company expanded far beyond the fur trade. It became a major landowner and later a retail giant, with department stores that made "The Bay" a familiar part of everyday life in Canada. Historians and reference works consistently describe it as one of the oldest commercial enterprises in North America.

That long run came to an end in 2025, when the company entered creditor protection and was liquidated. Even so, the Hudson's Bay Company remains a major part of the story of Canada, both for its economic influence and for the lasting debates around its role in colonial history and relations with Indigenous peoples.