The Fight for Cultural Heritage and the Role of Billionaires

The Hudson’s Bay Company is dead. 

While the Canadian media obsesses over the sale of The Bay’s retail properties, thousands of historical artefacts and artworks — including the original copy of the Royal Charter — sit concealed in the cockles of the company’s dustiest vault. Now, Canada’s oldest retailer is hemming and hawing over donating these culturally-significant artefacts to Indigenous communities requesting them, or selling the artefacts for cold, hard cash… all-the-while refusing to share what’s in their inventory.

Taylor Noakes chats with Jesse about why the Bay’s obfuscation of their collection is more important than a document — even one the king signed.

Host: Jesse Brown

Credits: Jules Bugiel (Producer), Lucie Laumonier (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), tom sayers (Audio Editor), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor)

Guest: Taylor Noakes

This episode uses generative AI for the following purposes: Voice cloning of Canadaland’s editor and publisher Jesse Brown.

NOTE: A previous version of this episode included a shorter version of Ruby Liu's email to Justice Peter Osborne. The new version includes more of the email.

Further reading: 

• Despite requests from Indigenous leaders, HBC artifacts will not be returned - Ricochet     
• Billionaire David Thomson wants to buy Hudson's Bay charter, donate it to Manitoba Archives - CBC
• B.C. billionaire wanting Bay leases doesn't have cash to launch new chain: landlord - The Canadian Press
• Liberal MPs call for action against antisemitism after stabbing of Jewish woman in Ottawa - The Globe and Mail

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