The Hudson’s Bay Company disappeared in June after its final stores closed, but traces of its influence in Winnipeg may never completely vanish. The 355-year-old retailer played a pivotal role in the city’s establishment, with remnants of its legacy still evident throughout Winnipeg’s streets, structures with modern facades, road layouts, and an array of historical records.
Gordon Goldsborough, the acting executive director of the Manitoba Historical Society, emphasized that the presence of The Bay remains palpable due to numerous signs indicating its historical footprint. The former HBC department store, a massive six-story, 650,000-square-foot structure at Portage Avenue and Memorial Street, erected in 1926 as the largest poured concrete building in Canada, stands as a prominent reminder of the company’s grandeur.
Many other structures linked to HBC’s initial department store from 1881 on Main Street and York Avenue still exist, despite the demolition of the fort considered Winnipeg’s birthplace between 1881 and 1888. Various ancillary buildings, such as the mail-order and catalogue building, powerhouse building, company garage, and wholesale building, continue to dot the cityscape, preserving the essence of the Hudson’s Bay downtown complex.
Founded in 1670 under a royal charter for fur trading in Rupert’s Land, the company established numerous trading posts across British North America before transitioning to retail and ultimately selling the land to the Dominion of Canada in 1869. The HBC retained substantial land reserves around its trading posts, including a triangular-shaped reserve of 188 hectares at Upper Fort Garry, shaping the development of Winnipeg with wider streets and unique road layouts.
The HBC’s strategic real estate planning extended to the creation of a grid system of roads diverging from the conventional river lot pattern, defining the old reserve’s distinct boundary. Streets like Fort, Garry, Ellice, and others bear names linked to HBC posts or former employees, reflecting the company’s enduring imprint on the city’s urban landscape.
The company’s legacy in Winnipeg extended to infrastructure projects like bridges at the Forks area, contributing to urban development. Despite facing commercial challenges over the years, the HBC’s impact on Winnipeg’s architectural landscape and urban planning endures, with structures mimicking its iconic limestone facade and shaping the city’s growth trajectory.
While acknowledging the positive aspects of HBC’s legacy, historians also highlight the negative impacts on Indigenous communities, such as exploitative trading practices and the spread of diseases. A recent symbolic gesture involved the transfer of ownership of the Portage Avenue store to the Southern Chiefs’ Organization for redevelopment, marking a significant step towards reconciliation and Indigenous empowerment.
The Manitoba Museum and Manitoba Archives house a vast collection of HBC artifacts and records, providing valuable insights into the company’s history and its profound influence on Winnipeg’s development. Despite its complex legacy, the Hudson’s Bay Company’s enduring presence in Winnipeg serves as a reminder of its historical significance and ongoing efforts towards reconciliation.
