June 21, 2007
Province of Manitoba's Hudson's Bay Company Archival Records Receive Prestigious Designation
– – –Inscription Added to UNESCO's Memory of the World Registry
Culture, Heritage and Tourism Minister Eric Robinson announced today that the Hudson’s Bay Company archive records spanning the first 250 years of its history from 1670 to 1920 have been included in theUnited Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s(UNESCO) Memory of the World Registry.
The records, which are housed in Winnipeg, trace the Hudson’s Bay Company from its inception through the development of the fur trade, North American exploration and settlement, and the growth of the company’s Canadian retail, wholesale, property and natural resources business into the 20th century.
“The Hudson’s Bay Company Archives are not only the history of a company, but of a country, and Manitobans can take pride in their recognition,” said Robinson. “They form a unique record of the heritage of Canada’s west and north and its people including European traders and settlers and First Nations, Inuit and Métis people. They provide insight into the beginnings of our province and nation and the course of their development, and contribute to understanding our land as it is today.
“This designation is a first for Canada and puts Manitoba on the heritage world stage. We have been proud stewards of the Hudson’s Bay Company archives since 1974 when they were first entrusted to our care.”
The collection has attracted international researchers including academics, family historians, Aboriginal groups, students, lawyers, government researchers and history enthusiasts. The research has formed the basis for books, articles, films, television productions, videos, CD-ROMs, websites and exhibitions. This recognition will only increase awareness and use of these rich resources, said Robinson.
The Hudson’s Bay Company Archives, 1670-1920, housed in the Archives of Manitoba, and the Quebec Seminary Collection, 1623-1800, housed in the Musée de la civilisation du Québec, are the first collections in Canada to share this honour.
“On behalf of Hbc, we are delighted to hear that the Hudson’s Bay Company Archives have received this prestigious designation to the Memory of the World Registry. Such a designation recognizes the extraordinary value of the collection and Hbc’s important role in preserving and promoting Canada’s collective history,” said Jerry Zucker, governor and chief executive officer, Hbc. “This, along with the countless historians and researchers who use the collections every year and their resulting works, enforces the spirit of our gift of these records to the Province of Manitoba to ensure their preservation and access to a worldwide clientele, now and into the future.”
The archives of Hbc were transferred by the company from London to the Archives of Manitoba in 1974 for safekeeping and first made accessible to the public in 1975. In 1993, Hbc formally donated the archives to the Province of Manitoba. Out of the tax savings generated by this donation, Hbc created the Hudson’s Bay Company History Foundation. The foundation funds and supports the operations of the Hudson’s Bay Company Archives as a division of the Archives of Manitoba. The partnership between Hbc, the Hudson’s Bay Company History Foundation and the Archives of Manitoba has supported the preservation of the records of this unique historical company and made possible their continuing availability to local, national, and international clientele.
The UNESCO Memory of the World Registry identifies and lists the most significant documentary heritage collections in the world. The proposal submitted by Archives Manitoba was initially reviewed by an ad hoc committee composed of experts established by the Canadian Commission for UNESCO before it was sent to the International Advisory Committee.
The chair of the ad hoc committee Jean-Pierre Wallot was also the first chair of the International Advisory Committee from 1993 to 1998 and a former Canadian national archivist. Wallot said that he was pleased with the first inscriptions from Quebec and from Canada to the international register.
“These inscriptions will rekindle the embers of our past, raise awareness of our multiple evolutions … with the peoples of Quebec and Canada and nurture our search for and understanding of our identities,” he said.
UNESCO was formed as an organization that would embody a genuine culture of peace by promoting collaboration among nations through education, the sciences, culture, and communication and information.
The Canadian Commission for UNESCO acts as a forum for governments and civil society, and to mobilize the participation of Canadian organizations and committed individuals in UNESCO’s mandated areas.
The vision of UNESCO’s Memory of the World Program is that the world’s documentary heritage belongs to everyone, should be fully preserved and protected for all, and should be permanently accessible without hindrance.
For more information:
UNESCO website:
Archives of Manitoba Hudson’s Bay Company Archives website:
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