Timeline of Canada and the Hudson Bay Company

Two French traders discover a wealth of fur in the interior of the continent and that too accessible through inland seas of the Hudson Bay. The two Frenchmen were arrested and fur confiscated. They then went to England and met Prince Rupert

Birth of the Hudson’s Bay Company (‘HBC’) via a Charter granting monopoly over all the trade in the area of what was then called Rupert’s Land, which comprised mainly of today’s Northern Canada drained by rivers and streams draining into the Hudson’s Bay.

After the first trading post at Moose Factory, HBC opened initial posts at Fort Albany(1674), Fort Severn(1680), and York Factory(1684). The value of all commodities was standardized in terms of MB, a Made Beaver, a currency.

By 1750, HBC expanded its trade relations further in the mainland and established posts at today’s Manitoba, Red Deer, Alberta, Churchill River. This was after an English victory in a French-Indian war.

The Seven Years War, which began in 1756, saw the French being defeated, and Montreal and New France become English colonies. The war ended in 1763.

Samuel Hearne claims Arctic land in the name of HBC.

The first British settlement was established in today’s Canada by the Earl of Selkirk by acquiring 74 million acres of Rupert’s land for 10 shillings.

NorthWestern Company merged into HBC, giving HBC unprecedented control over today’s Canada with a total of 175 posts and approx 2000 employees.

HBC opens its westernmost port at Victoria after a port at Vancouver.

Deed of surrender of Rupert’s land was signed and the confederation of Canada was born.