TORONTO – No competing bids for Hudson’s Bay’s royal charter have emerged, paving the way for the Thomson and Weston families to purchase the artifact, a source says.
The Canadian Press is not naming the source familiar with the auction process because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
Holding companies belonging to the two families were set to jointly offer $18 million as a starting bid in an auction scheduled for Wednesday.
Anyone wanting to participate in the sale had to signal their interest by last Friday.
With no one willing to square off against the families, they will likely be named the successful bidder for the document dating back to 1670.
The Thomsons and Westons have said they plan to donate the charter to the Archives of Manitoba, the Manitoba Museum, the Canadian Museum of History, and the Royal Ontario Museum.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 1, 2025.
