The Hudson’s Bay Company Royal Charter has officially been purchased and will be donated in equal parts to four public institutions, including the Manitoba Museum.
An $18 million bid for the Charter, made jointly by the Weston family and David Thomson, through their respective holding companies, has been accepted, and the Manitoba Museum, the Archives of Manitoba, the Canadian Museum of History, and the Royal Ontario Museum will receive the Charter as co-custodians on behalf of all Canadians.
The Hudson’s Bay Company Royal Charter was issued by King Charles II in 1670, granting the Hudson’s Bay Company a massive land grant that encompassed the entire Hudson Bay watershed, an area roughly two-thirds of what we now call Canada, and which included exclusive trading rights.
Four public institutions to undertake national consultation on Charter’s future
The four public institutions will undertake a national consultation on the Charter’s future, including conservation, interpretation, exhibition, and community engagement.
“Placing the HBC Charter in the hands of Canadians marks a monumental step toward Truth and Reconciliation,” says Dorota Blumczyńska, CEO of the Manitoba Museum. “The Manitoba Museum is profoundly honoured to serve as a Public Custodian, recognizing both the privilege and the immense responsibility this role carries. We are committed to ensuring that this historically complex document is preserved while also being placed in service to communities, becoming part of the foundation for healing and a brighter, more just future.”
The Manitoba Museum is home to the HBC Museum Collection, which the Hudson’s Bay Company gifted to the museum in 1994. It is comprised of 28,000 artifacts from across the country, dating back to the mid-17th century.
“The HBC Museum Collection was originally compiled in the 1920s to celebrate the Company’s 250th anniversary, but over the past century it has grown and flourished after finding a permanent home at the Manitoba Museum in 1994,” says Amelia Fay, Director of Research, Collections, and Exhibitions at the Manitoba Museum. “We work diligently to ensure the long-term preservation of this internationally significant collection, deemed a gift to the nation, as part of our daily work, and enjoy sharing the Collection with visitors through programs, exhibits, and tours.”
The Manitoba Museum says it is deeply grateful to the Weston Family and David Thomson for their visionary leadership in this exciting moment in Canadian history.
