I am one month in to my new job as Curator of the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) Museum Collection at The Manitoba Museum and I’m still in that “pinch-me” phase, it feels too good to be true. Why? Let me fill you in.

I grew up in Winnipeg and I LOVED The Manitoba Museum. It was through visits to this museum, and other fabulous museums and historic sites in Manitoba, that I developed my interest and passion for human history. When I moved away for graduate school I never thought that a job would open up in my hometown, let alone at my beloved museum. Yet here I am, I’ve secured my dream job!

Maybe you’re wondering what makes this job so dreamy, or maybe you too have a long-time love affair with this place so you completely understand where I’m coming from. We are so lucky to have a museum right here in Winnipeg that has something for everyone. For me, the HBC collection is particularly exciting as it consists of 26,200 artifacts that I get to explore and to present to you.

The Hudson’s Bay Company’s original name was ‘the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England trading into Hudson Bay’. The Company of Adventurers referred to those who owned stock, they were called ‘adventurers’ because they risked their own money on the establishment of the fur trade. I feel a bit like an adventurer myself, as I get to explore the vast collections. In the coming months I’ll share my discoveries with you, no financial risk required!