Hudsons Bay Company

The Hudson's Bay Company is the oldest corporation in Canada and is one of the oldest in the world. It was formed as an English corporation in 1670 and was given by Royal Charter a monopoly over trade in the region watered by streams flowing into [Hudson Bay]? in Canada (an area known as Rupert's Land). Note that this region constitutes one third the area of modern day Canada.

In 1821, the [North West Company]? of Montréal and Hudson's Bay Company merged, with a combined territory that was extended by a license to the Arctic Ocean on the north and the Pacific Ocean on the west. In 1869 the trade monopoly was abolished and trade in the region was opened to any entrepreneur. The company also lost it's ownership of Rupert's Land.

The company continues today with department stores named The Bay. Many Hudson's Bay Company stores were until quite recently the only stores in remote towns.

see also East India Company