Hudsons Bay to ask court to allow auction of charter, art and artifacts – National [Video]

Hudson’s Bay is expected to seek court permission today to auction off its art, artifacts and the 355-year-old royal charter that launched the company, which announced Wednesday it will liquidate all its remaining stores.

The department store company, which is Canada’s oldest business, filed a notice of motion last week asking to separate the charter along with 1,700 pieces of art and more than 2,700 artifacts from an ongoing sales process.

An auction “is the most transparent, fair and efficient approach to monetize the art collection while recognizing and protecting its cultural and historical significance,” the company said in the motion it filed.

The move was meant to ensure the items get the “care, consideration and expertise” they need.

However, the potential auction, which Hudson’s Bay wants to be run by Heffel Gallery Ltd., has been a lightning rod for concerns from archival institutions, governments and historians who don’t want …