'End of an era': Hudson’s Bay sign removed from historic Vancouver building
One of the last remnants of Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) in Vancouver has been removed from the iconic downtown building that housed it for over a century.
On Monday, Jan. 12, workers clad in high-visibility jackets removed the logo of Canada’s oldest retailer from high above the corner of West Georgia and Granville Street.
Daily Hive reader Taylor shared the photo and described the moment as making HBC’s closure “feel real.”
“Even though the store has been closed for months, seeing the sign still up sometimes made me forget it was closed. But seeing the letters come down and sitting in the back of a truck really reinforces the message that The Bay is no more, and it is definitely the end of an era.”
Hudson’s Bay flagship store in downtown Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan)
HBC officially closed all its remaining stores on June 1, 2025, ending a 355-year legacy that began with fur trading and evolved into a national department store chain.
The shutdown came after HBC filed for creditor protection in March 2025 under the federal Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA), citing financial challenges including declining foot traffic, post-pandemic recovery issues, and more recent trade tensions.
Despite efforts to restructure, the company proceeded with liquidation sales, culminating in the closure of 80 Hudson’s Bay stores, three Saks Fifth Avenue locations, and 13 Saks Off 5th outlets across Canada.
HBC’s tenancy at its downtown Vancouver flagship store began in 1914.
“Permanent closure” sign posted onto the entrances of Hudson’s Bay in downtown Vancouver, shortly after 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 1, 2025. (Kenneth Chan)
“I grew up shopping at The Bay,” explained Taylor. “It was always a staple in every mall anywhere we moved or visited, and as an adult, I continued to shop there all the time.
“With the Olympics coming up next month, it also feels strange to not be able to walk into a Hudson’s Bay store and pick up this year’s Team Canada swag.”
The closure of Hudson’s Bay led to the termination of over 8,300 employees, with an additional roughly 900 layoffs expected by mid-June 2005 as distribution centres shut down.
“My mom also worked for The Bay for over 15 years, and lost her job when the stores closed last year. So seeing the sign come down definitely brings up some feelings of loss, both in terms of Canadian nostalgia, but also personally for my family.”
Condition of Hudson’s Bay’s downtown Vancouver store in its final days, as seen on May 24, 2025. (Kenneth Chan)
In October, after months of court deliberations and intense public scrutiny from Canada’s largest commercial real estate landlords, creditors, the court-appointed monitor, industry experts, and the media, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice rejected a proposal from the now-skeletal remnant entity of HBC to assign 25 department store leases across the country to B.C.-based businesswoman Ruby (Weihong) Liu for the creation of a new Canadian department store chain.
And in December, it was announced that a joint partnership between commercial real estate firms CBRE Limited and Marcus & Millichap has been appointed to market and oversee the sale of the former Hudson’s Bay flagship department store building, located at 674 Granville St. in downtown Vancouver.
When asked what she would like to see take over the building, Taylor replied that she would love to see another department store fill the space.
“One of the great things about The Bay to me was the ability to shop for so many different things in one place rather than having to visit multiple stores or rely on online shopping. And of course, I would hope to see another Canadian company take over the space, whatever it ends up being.”
The long corridor between the original ticketing hall and the Granville Street entrance of SkyTrain’s Granville Station is also a bit brighter and more visually interesting following years of decline tied to the gradual demise of the Hudson’s Bay store.
New civic pride mural for the former Hudson’s Bay lower underground level storefront at SkyTrain’s Granville Station. (Kenneth Chan)
TransLink and Downtown Van (the local business improvement association for downtown Vancouver) recently partnered to add some new life to the long corridor between the original ticketing hall and the Granville Street entrance of SkyTrain’s Granville Station
In December, the blank glass surfaces were replaced with a new print graphics mural, celebrating civic pride by showcasing illustrations of major landmarks and points of interest, such as Douglas Coupland’s Digital Orca sculpture, the Olympic Cauldron, and the Vancouver Art Gallery.
What type of retailer would you like to see take over the former HBC building? Let us know in the comments or get in touch at vancouver@dailyhive.com.