Canadians eager to acquire items from Hudson’s Bay will soon have the opportunity to do so as an Ontario court has approved the sale of 1,700 pieces of art and approximately 2,700 artifacts belonging to the company. The items up for sale are from Hudson’s Bay’s retail period rather than its fur trading history, although the specific details of the collection have not been disclosed yet.
The sale, managed by Heffel Gallery, will be conducted through a series of online auctions starting on November 12 and an in-person auction scheduled around November 19. Notably, the royal charter that established the company in 1670 will not be included in this sale. Hudson’s Bay plans to auction off the charter separately through its financial adviser, Reflect, with the court’s approval anticipated in the following week.
Additionally, 24 artifacts have been excluded from the auction as they are believed to have Indigenous origins or heritage, and will either be returned or donated.