By Jacob Richard
“Show patriotism by supporting the Hudson’s Bay Company,” declares a recent letter to the editor in the Vancouver Sun. Lamenting the news that the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) is on the verge of financial collapse, the letter writer argues that there is “nothing more tragic to becoming the 51st state than to see the Hudson’s Bay close for good.” With the US-Canada trade war dominating headlines, if Canadians “really want to show their devoted patriotism and loyalty to our nation … then get down to your local Hudson’s Bay store.”
So, here we are in the middle of a North American trade war, and Canadians are being given a providential task. As the HBC puts one foot in the grave, it appears – for some – as though Canadians will have to resurrect this fallen icon themselves. But what do we owe this “Canadian” behemoth? Does a trade war justify our loyalty to aging imperial icons?
As Robert Engelbert recently argued for Active History, there is nothing really “unprecedented” about the trade war of today. Through tariffs, boycotts, threats, and even a few real invasions, Canada has always held firm with the United States.
The truth is, we are living in entirely precedented times. While the details may differ, poor Canada-US relations are a return to normalcy. It’s our recent cooperation that sticks out as novel, not this current souring of affairs.
Akin to Canada-US relations, the HBC and Indigenous peoples have also been cycling through periods of cooperation and antagonism for over 350 years. A legacy that, long and impactful, is worthy of our attention, especially with the eerily parallel re-introduction of bison back onto the Canadian plains.
Rather than give it life-support, maybe it’s time we say goodbye to the HBC. But before we do, let’s quickly look back at the former precedent of our bison.
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