On March 8, 2025, it was reported in the Wall Street Journal that Hudson’s Bay Company, the Canadian department store chain founded in 1670, is preparing for a bankruptcy filing within days. Hudson’s Bay, based in Toronto, operates more than 80 stores and is one of the oldest companies in North America, tracing its roots to the fur trade during colonial times.  Click here for a nine-minute YouTube video tracing the history of the company.

French Governor Marquis d’Argenson refused to grant the coureur des bois permission to scout the distant territory even though the cost of moving furs overland might have been reduced .

Prince Rupert was the prince who introduced them to his cousin, King Charles II of England, in 1668 who granted them permission to scout the territory following the Great Plague of 1665, otherwise known as the Black Death.

The Company set up six trading posts between 1668 and 1717 and became the largest land owner in North America. Hudson’s Bay later transitioned into a retail giant. Its striped wool blanket, initially traded for beaver pelts in the 1700s, are still sold today.