Canadian Tire is set to offer the famous Hudson’s Bay point blankets for sale and has affirmed its commitment to continue the initiative started by HBC, directing the proceeds to support Indigenous-led projects. Through an enhanced collaboration with the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund, Canadian Tire has guaranteed a minimum of $1 million annually to back Oshki Wupoowane, The Blanket Fund. This funding will be utilized for grants benefitting grassroots Indigenous groups and various cultural, artistic, and educational endeavors.
Earlier this year, Canadian Tire acquired HBC’s intellectual property, including the iconic Hudson’s Bay stripes, for $30 million as part of HBC’s retail closure. However, the deal did not involve the company’s art, artifacts, and archives, some of which will be auctioned off next month.
Although the HBC point blankets are now popular among consumers, they carry a contentious history due to their ties to the company’s colonial past. Originally used as trade currency by early European settlers in Canada, there is oral history suggesting that they were deliberately used to spread smallpox among Indigenous communities in the 1700s and 1800s.
The Blanket Fund, established in 2022, aims to promote truth and reconciliation. It began with a $1 million contribution from the Hudson’s Bay Foundation and a pledge to donate all net proceeds from Hudson’s Bay point blanket sales to the fund.
Greg Hicks, President and CEO of Canadian Tire, expressed pride in safeguarding HBC’s legacy and emphasized the company’s enduring commitment to cultural preservation and reconciliation through its partnership with the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund.