(Treaty One Territory – Winnipeg, Manitoba: June 11, 2026) – The Manitoba Museum, together with members of the HBC Royal Charter Consortium, hosted a historic event to officially welcome the Hudson’s Bay Company Royal Charter into the hands of Canadians. The event marked the beginning of the work of the Consortium in determining the Charter’s future, ensuring robust and meaningful discussions in the years ahead.   

 In 1670, King Charles II issued the HBC Royal Charter, granting exclusive land, trading, and exploration rights over the entire Hudson Bay watershed – an area roughly one-third of what we now call Canada. The Royal Charter reflects the belief that this land was vacant and free for the taking, ideas that today we know are wrong, and thus it is a significant document for Canada, and an important part of the nation’s history.   

Through auction in December 2025, the 356-year-old document was jointly acquired for $18 million by the Weston family and David Thomson, through their respective holding companies. The Charter was then generously donated in equal parts to four public institutions – the Manitoba Museum, the Archives of Manitoba, the Canadian Museum of History, and the Royal Ontario Museum – working collectively as the HBC Royal Charter Consortium. 

As part of its joint stewardship, the Consortium will undertake a series of initiatives in the coming years to guide the conservation, interpretation, exhibition, and public engagement surrounding the Charter. These initiatives include a range of online and in-person public engagement opportunities; engagement with Indigenous communities; the development of educational materials to support provincial and territorial curricula; the creation of permanent and temporary exhibitions; and conservation stewardship to ensure the Charter’s long-term preservation. 

“The Consortium humbly accepts custodianship on behalf of all Canadians, recognizing the depth of responsibility this trust entails. We are committed to holding a thoughtful, inclusive dialogue about the Charter’s future, embracing conservation, interpretation, exhibition, and meaningful community engagement. In doing so, we hope to invite people from coast to coast to coast to share their perspectives in a National Conversation about the Charter’s enduring significance, who we are as a nation, and how we can move forward together with care and intention, strengthening our collective commitment to Truth and Reconciliation.” – Dorota Blumczyńska, CEO of the Manitoba Museum, speaking on behalf of the Consortium.  

As the hosts of the first official event marking the Charter’s transfer to Canadian stewardship, the Manitoba Museum welcomed distinguished members of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, alongside dignitaries and guests, to a ceremony and reception held in Alloway Hall and throughout the Museum. The ceremony featured meaningful participation by Indigenous drummers and singers, as well as a pipe ceremony and lighting of the qulliq. Remarks and a land acknowledgment were delivered by Manitoba Museum CEO and Consortium representative Dorota Blumczyńska. 

The gathering brought together diverse voices in a spirit of reflection and respect, marking both a hopeful and significant occasion. It serves as the starting point for the Consortium’s work to ensure the Charter’s ongoing conservation, thoughtful interpretation, and inclusive public engagement in the years ahead.  

Each member of the Consortium will also receive additional support from the Desmarais family and Power Corporation of Canada to deliver Charter related activities. At the Manitoba Museum this will include a new permanent exhibition in the Museum’s HBC Gallery opening in the fall of 2027. In the future, the Charter will also be exhibited at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec, and the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. At this time, those dates have not yet been confirmed. 

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Media Contact & Information: 

Brandi Hayberg
Manager of Marketing & Communications, Manitoba Museum
BHayberg@ManitobaMuseum.ca
204-988-0614