Lawyer trying to save war memorials from Hudson's Bay stores in Toronto, Calgary

Tara Deschamps · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Apr 23, 2025 11:34 AM EDT | Last Updated: 27 minutes ago

A Toronto lawyer is hoping to find a mode to sphere warfare memorials astatine 2 Hudson's Bay stores.

E. Patrick Shea, who besides sits connected the legislature of the 48th Highlanders of Canada and is the RCAF Foundation's secretary, said helium wants the displays commemorating Bay and Simpsons workers who died successful the Second World War to beryllium saved.

The show astatine the Hudson's Bay store successful downtown Toronto consists of a database of unit astatine Simpsons, a defunct section store the Bay bought successful 1978, that made the "supreme sacrifice." The statement tucked distant adjacent a slope of elevators is flanked by 2 Canadian flags and a wreath of poppies with a purple banner reading, "lest we forget."

And astatine the downtown Calgary location, closing by June 15, is simply a bronze plaque bearing the names of dozens of Hudson's Bay employees who died successful the war.

"Most radical conscionable spot names connected a wall, but down each 1 of those names is simply a story," Shea said.

Most of the astir 100 individuals listed betwixt the 2 memorials were 18 oregon 19 years aged erstwhile they near location for the war, helium said. They ne'er returned and present astir of the radical who knew them are gone arsenic well.

"Some of them whitethorn person had children, but adjacent their children would beryllium good into their 80s now," Shea said.

"The past benignant of vestige of their representation are these plaques and they merit to beryllium successful the nationalist eye."

Company auctioning disconnected artifacts

Shea feels his advocating for the memorials volition assistance guarantee they don't go an afterthought arsenic Hudson's Bay closes each but six stores by June, sells disconnected its assets and looks for businesses to presume its leases. The downtown Toronto store is not slated for closure.

The institution volition instrumentality to tribunal Thursday to question support to tally an auction for immoderate 1,700 pieces of creation and much than 2,700 artifacts.

Asked astir plans for the memorials, Hudson's Bay spokesperson Tiffany Bourre said successful an email that the institution is "deeply mindful" of the taste value of its artifacts and is moving with advisers to guarantee they volition beryllium auctioned disconnected successful a mode that "appropriately balances the interests and concerns of each stakeholders."

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RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust, which oversees the Calgary spot done a associated task with the Bay, did not respond to a petition for comment.

The Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board, whose subsidiary Ontrea Inc. is listed successful tribunal documents arsenic the landlord for the downtown Toronto property, did not respond to a petition for comment.

Push to support memorials successful community

Its different existent property subsidiary Cadillac Fairview, however, replied and referred The Canadian Press to Hudson's Bay.

"If immoderate artifacts travel into Cadillac Fairview's possession, we enactment their preservation," institution spokesperson Anna Ng said successful an email.

Shea, whose parent worked for Hudson's Bay for 40 years, wants to spot the memorials enactment successful the assemblage wherever they're already located.

He imagines the Simpsons operation astatine 401 Bay St., a Cadillac Fairview spot wherever Hudson's Bay has its caput office, would beryllium an perfect tract for the Toronto memorial.

The Military Museums successful Calgary could beryllium a bully acceptable for the Alberta memorial, Shea said.

Curator Alison Mercer agreed successful an email that it could beryllium suitable for the depository collection.

If Shea is successful, the memorials wouldn't beryllium the archetypal helium has rescued. He antecedently saved 1 astatine a decommissioned mill successful Thorold, Ont., for Ontario Paper Company employees mislaid successful the First World War.