The Historic Cradle of Trade: Manitoba and the Hudson’s Bay Company
- Karin Schreiber
- Mar 6
- 3 min read
On May 2, 1670, one of the world’s oldest trading companies, the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC), was founded in Canada. The company’s name was no coincidence, as its first headquarters were located at York Factory on the shores of Hudson Bay in northern Manitoba. From this location, the company controlled the fur trade for centuries across vast regions of British-controlled North America, largely due to its early trading relationships with the region’s Indigenous peoples. Its trade territory, known as "Rupertsland", once spanned 3.9 million square kilometers within the Hudson Bay watershed, covering over a third of today’s Canada. By the late 19th century, this enormous territory formed the majority of the newly created "Dominion of Canada." As the fur trade declined, the company increasingly turned to trading essential goods for settlers in the Canadian West. Today, its department stores are renowned across Canada. In 2020, the Hudson’s Bay Company celebrated its 350th anniversary!
Throughout Manitoba, numerous locations still bear witness to the company’s origins and legacy. The former headquarters at York Factory operated until 1957. Built in 1831, its wooden structures are the oldest and largest wooden buildings in Canada, situated on permafrost. They stand south of Wapusk National Park, amidst the natural habitat of polar bears. Today, they are owned by the Canadian government and managed by Parks Canada as a National Historic Site. The site is no longer permanently inhabited but serves as a summer residence for Parks Canada staff. Visitors can take a day trip from Gillam to the historic York Factory National Historic Site. Nelson River Adventures offers a thrilling jet boat tour across the Nelson River to the Hudson Bay shoreline, where travelers may spot wildlife such as seals, black bears, polar bears, moose, caribou, wolves, and eagles. Alternatively, a guided canoe excursion along the Hayes River with Wild Loon Adventure Company brings passionate paddlers to York Factory.
Another historical remnant from the days of the HBC is the Prince of Wales Fort in Churchill. Originally built in 1717 at the mouth of the Churchill River, this fort was intended to protect the HBC’s fur trade and serve as a stop for Indigenous traders. Militarily and economically, however, the fort was a failure; by the late 18th century, it had been occupied by the French and largely destroyed. Today’s Prince of Wales Fort National Historic Site, managed by Parks Canada, is a 1930s reconstruction of the original fort, located across the Churchill River from Churchill. The site is only accessible by boat.
Much more accessible is Lower Fort Garry National Historic Site near Winnipeg. This historical trading post is the oldest remaining stone fort in North America. Museum staff dressed in period costumes bring the year 1850 to life for visitors.
In the heart of Winnipeg, The Manitoba Museum features an entire gallery dedicated to the Hudson’s Bay Company. The collection includes over 10,000 artifacts spanning three centuries of vibrant history, a collection initiated by the HBC management in the 1920s. Today, it is one of the world’s most significant historical resources. In 2020, to mark the HBC’s 350th anniversary, the original Hudson’s Bay Company Royal Charter from 1670 was publicly displayed for the first time at The Manitoba Museum. This document, granted by King Charles II of England, transferred “Rupertsland” to the company and granted it exclusive trade and land rights over the entire Hudson Bay watershed. The HBC Royal Charter is considered to hold the same importance and value as the Canadian Constitution and the U.S. Declaration of Independence. The document is now stored in the Hudson’s Bay Company Archives in Toronto again.
Last but not least, Winnipeg’s public provincial archive, the Manitoba Archives, houses the Hudson’s Bay Company Archive, one of the most precious collections documenting Canada’s history.
For more information, visit www.travelmanitoba.com.
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