Canadian Tire to begin selling iconic Hudson Bay blankets and donate proceeds to Indigenous Fund
Canadian Tire will begin selling the iconic Hudson’s Bay Point blankets and has promised to continue a program started by HBC to donate net proceeds to support Indigenous-led initiatives.
Under an expanded partnership between Canadian Tire and Gord Downey and the Chany Wenjack Fund, the retailer has committed at least $1 million per year to support Oshiki Vupuvane, The Blanket Fund.
The money will be used for grants that support grassroots Indigenous organizations and one-time cultural, artistic and educational projects.
Canadian Tire Acquired HBC’s intellectual propertyThat includes the iconic Hudson’s Bay stripes, for $30 million as part of the retailer’s closure earlier this year. The company was not involved in the deal Art, Artefacts and Archives – some of which will be There will be an auction next month,
Canadian Tire is purchasing Hudson’s Bay’s iconic stripes, coats of arms, various company names, logos and related intellectual property in a $30 million deal, as Hudson’s Bay closes its stores and ceases operations.
Although HBC Point blankets are popular with buyers today, they have a problematic history due to their connection to the company’s colonial past. Blankets were once used as currency for trade by early European settlers in Canada, but oral history says they were used intentionally spreading smallpox to indigenous communities in the 1700s and 1800s.
The Blanket Fund was launched in an effort to align Truth and Reconciliation with the Hudson Bay Foundation’s initial $1 million investment in 2022 and a commitment to give 100 percent of the net proceeds from the sale of Hudson Bay Point blankets to the fund.
“We are exceptionally proud to be stewards of HBC’s legacy – and as one of the country’s longest-running companies, we don’t take the responsibility lightly,” said Greg Hicks, President and CEO of Canadian Tire. in a statement,
“The Hudson Bay Point Blanket is a Canadian icon with a complex history, and through our deep relationship with the (Gord Downey and Chanie Wenjack Fund), we are committed to ensuring its cultural preservation and meaningful reconciliation for generations to come.”
