The items in question, some of which date back to the 17th century and many Indigenous in origin, are set to hit the auction block at some point in the near future.
In addition, parties interested in reviewing the catalogue of items have been required to sign non-disclosure agreements. Canadian Heritage confirmed that this was stipulated by the company in order to protect the art auction.
And while Canadian Heritage is aware of the existence of the HBC collection catalogue, it has not consulted it.
“Responsibility for examining the collection rests with Canada’s national museums, which are Crown corporations with relevant collecting mandates, as well as Library and Archives Canada, all of whom are currently examining the available information regarding the HBC collection,” said Canadian Heritage.
The government’s inability to acquire the collection — or even some of its better known items — was illustrated recently when the Canadian Museum of History announced the Weston family was looking to acquire the royal charter signed by King Charles II in 1670 that established the Hudson’s Bay Company, and donate it to the museum.
