Canadians eagerly anticipating the opportunity to acquire items from Hudson’s Bay will soon have the chance to do so. An Ontario court has given the green light for the sale of 1,700 artworks and approximately 2,700 artifacts from the defunct retailer. The specific items up for sale have not been disclosed yet, but a spokesperson for the company mentioned that they originate from Hudson’s Bay’s retail history rather than its earlier fur trading days.
The upcoming sale will be managed by Heffel Gallery and will be conducted through a combination 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 part of this sale. Hudson’s Bay intends to auction off this historic document separately through its financial adviser, Reflect, with plans to seek court approval for this separate auction in the coming week.
Furthermore, 24 artifacts have been excluded from the auction list due to concerns about their Indigenous origins or cultural significance. These items will either be returned or donated.
