Calgary’s Hudson’s Bay building was more than just a store. These photos reveal its rich social history [Video]

While the Hudson’s Bay Company is closing all but six stores in the country, its building on Calgary’s Stephen Avenue leaves a landmark of its legacy in Western Canada. 

Local historian Harry Sanders said that while the Bay’s reputation is a “mixed bag” —  being the oldest corporation in North America and having a record of colonial exploitation —  its place in Canada and Calgary’s history is undeniable.

The company first arrived in Calgary in 1876 — just a year after Fort Calgary was founded — with a trading post just east of the Elbow River, according to Josh Traptow, CEO of Heritage Calgary.

In 1884, they constructed a wooden building at the northwest corner of Centre Street and Eighth Avenue S.W., in the location of downtown Calgary’s …