One of the oldest stores in St. Albert Centre and the oldest company in North America is set to go into liquidation as early as this week.
The company filed for creditor protection on March 7 as it was struggling to pay its bills due to reduced customer demand from the pandemic, online sales, and the Canada–U.S. trade war, court documents show.
The company has proposed to liquidate all 80 of its Hudson’s Bay outlets, its three Saks 5th Avenue stores, and its 13 Saks OFF 5th outlets by June 15, 2025, with the court’s approval. The move would put nearly 9,400 people out of work (1,229 in Alberta) and shutter the Hudson’s Bay outlet in St. Albert Centre.
A ruling on the liquidation was pending as this story went to print.
Long history
Hudson’s Bay is the oldest company in North America, having been active since 1670. It had total authority over Rupert’s Land (much of western Canada and the area around Hudson’s Bay) for centuries until it transferred its lands to the Dominion of Canada in 1870, and was a major player in the early years of St. Albert and Edmonton.
Many of St. Albert’s founding residents, including Olivier Bellerose, Joseph Paquette, and John Cunningham, worked for the company or relied on the company’s flour mill at Fort Edmonton to grind their grain, Black Robe’s Vision reports. Hudson’s Bay had an official trading post in St. Albert from 1866 to 1875.
St. Albert’s current Hudson’s Bay outlet was one of the original tenants in St. Albert Centre when it opened in 1980, a St. Albert Centre staffer speaking on background told the Gazette. It was one of the four stores from the mall’s opening that were still in operation as of March 2025; the others were Ricki’s, A&W, and Tip Top Tailors.
Former St. Albert resident Patricia Nicol said in an email that the St. Albert outlet had been an icon in her family for generations.
“From the time I was 16 years old, every Saturday I would go shopping at The Bay with my mom,” said the 60-year-old.
“I have very fond memories of our endless days of window shopping and [having lunch] at the cafeteria [which no longer exists]. They had the best strawberry pies.”
In an email, St. Albert Dental Centre dentist Edwin Mueller, who has worked in St. Albert Centre since 1987, said that while he had seen many businesses come and go over the years, losing The Bay felt different.
“The Bay was a landmark. It was always there. It was more than a department store — it was a meeting place, a staple in the community,” he said.
“This [mall] has always evolved, but it’s strange to think of St. Albert Centre without The Bay.”
In an email, St. Albert & District Chamber of Commerce chair Angie Hampshire said Hudson’s Bay potential closure highlighted broader challenges faced by retailers in this community, such as shifting consumer behaviours and the rise of online shopping. Big stores like The Bay create jobs, draw customers from across the region, and contribute to a vibrant shopping environment.
“It is important that we, as a community, come together to support not just the big-name retailers, but also the small, locally owned businesses that continue to shape the heart of our town,” Hampshire said.
Patrick Sullivan, COO of Primaris REIT (which owns St. Albert Centre), said the loss of Hudson’s Bay would not have a major effect on St. Albert Centre’s operations.
“The Bay as an anchor for the shopping centre has been losing relevance for the last couple of decades,” he said, and he was confident his company could find replacement for it, as it did when Target closed a few years ago.
“It’s a great location and there is demand from retailers to open up a marketplace.”
