TORONTO – Canadian Tire Corp. Ltd. will begin selling the iconic Hudson’s Bay point blankets and has pledged to continue a program started by HBC to donate the net proceeds to support Indigenous-led initiatives.
Under an expanded partnership between Canadian Tire and the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund, the retailer has guaranteed at least $1 million a year to support Oshki Wupoowane, The Blanket Fund.
The money will be used for multi-year grants that provide critical support to grassroots Indigenous organizations and reconciliation action grants to support one-time projects and events.
While popular with shoppers today, the HBC point blankets have a problematic history because of their association with the company’s colonial past.
The Blanket Fund was launched in 2022 in an effort for truth and reconciliation with an initial investment from the Hudson’s Bay Foundation and a commitment of 100 per cent of the net proceeds from the sale of Hudson’s Bay point blankets.
Canadian Tire acquired HBC’s intellectual property, including the iconic Hudson’s Bay stripes, earlier this year for $30 million as part of the wind up of the retailer.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2025.
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