Random Canadian Facts: For Naynay
Today’s Random Fact About Canada explores the Hudson Bay Company.
Naynay, did you know that the HBC is Canada’s oldest corporation?
In case you didn’t, the HBC was formed in 1670 by two French guys with the names Radisson and des Groseilliers. Fur hats and coats were popular in Europe at the time; Canada’s only important resource was a menagerie of wild animals with fur suitable for coats and hats. As such, a whole industry centered around fur trading was established.
The industry produced the famed Courier de Bois—the legendary canoe operators who would paddle upstream, their crafts filled with pelts. You see, all rivers flowed towards Hudson Bay where there is no evidence of civilization (even today), so these guys had to paddle extremely hard. What resulted was a rather interesting physiological phenomenon: the side of their body used for paddling become over-developed, while the other side became cripplingly weak.
The HBC implemented a series of trading posts to facilitate the fur trade industry. That’s why city names such as “Moose Factory” have sprung up in northern Ontario. In 1821, the North West Company and HBC decided to merge, creating a large conglomeration that had full control over the entire expanse of Canada.
HBC is now a retail outlet, but remains proud of its history. Many old stores still exist throughout Canada, and the famous Hudson Bay tri-coloured blankets still keep many warm at night.
(some information provided by HBC)
posted by kent @ 10:32 a.m.
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8 Comments:
thx :)
FYI the Hudson's Bay company was taken over by a big American investor, Jerry Zucker at the beginning of this year. I'm not going to suggest that this makes it American by any means, but its certainly no longer Canadian owned and operated.
im bored....why dont we change this to something like...."random cairo gossip".....way more interesting!! :P
I should start up a Cairo trainees blog. That could host random cairo gossip.
I have a novel idea...why don't you post something on the food blog. Or on your blog.
HBC (as a department store) also greatly affected the buying patterns of Canadians. The Bay taught us not to buy things that aren't on sale, because next week, it will likely be less expensive- and Canadians are a particularly price-sensitive nation.
Very good point Meg. I remember hearing that from Lynn Ricker in one of our Marketing classes. Here here to Bay Days!
HBC is not only Canada's oldest corporation; it is the oldest corporation that is still in existence in the world today.
More than you came for... at the Bay
I was wondering about that. I guess the East India Company isn't still in commission and the Dutch East Indies Company is probably finished.
What's surprising is that there is no mention of this fact on the HBC website.
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