TORONTO – Hudson’s Bay has solidified its faith in a controversial deal to sell leases to a B.C. billionaire by asking a court to force landlords critical of her to let her move in.
The collapsed retailer has filed a new motion asking Ontario’s Superior Court to assign 25 of its leases in Alberta, B.C. and Ontario to Liu.
The Bay says Liu should get the leases because the deal will help it repay creditors, revive vacant real estate and offer jobs to former Bay employees.
Landlords are vehemently opposed to her moving into their properties and have criticized her for not providing them with adequate information about her plans for their spaces.
New plans filed alongside the Bay’s motion show Liu will pour millions into restoring and renovating properties she will turn into three tiers of a new department store she is developing.
Liu says her plan will create at least 1,800 new jobs and by 2027, generate more than $420 million in annual sales.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 29, 2025.
