Taking Care of Business

	HBC History
	Introduction Trading Getting Around Settling Down Taking Care of Business

The Hudson's Bay Company's (HBC) existence spans five centuries—from the 17th to the 21st—and reigns of 15 monarchs, from Charles II to Elizabeth II. It began in the era of the wooden sailing ship and the quill pen. The HBC's Governor and Committee in London sent orders to their posts once a year, when their ships sailed in the spring. The replies came in the fall when the ships returned. The HBC carried on through all those changes in transport and communication that brought us a world where it is nearly possible to stay in touch with anybody anywhere all the time.

Amidst all this change, however, some things remained constant. The HBC gathered information about the lands where it did business and the people it traded with. It kept track of its finances. It invested its money. It sought legal advice. It used its understanding of past ventures to plan for the future. It recruited, trained, motivated, rewarded and disciplined its employees. It contended with rivals. It worked to maintain cordial relations with the governments of Britain and Canada. It cultivated the goodwill of the public and often used its history for this purpose.

And it created records.

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