Nov. 19, 2025 "Here’s what the 27 Hudson’s Bay paintings auctioned off sold for": Today I found this article on BNN Bloomberg:
These 27 paintings from Hudson’s Bay’s collection were sold in an auction Wednesday for a total of $4.9 million.
As expected, a painting by former British prime minister Winston Churchill fetched the highest price, at $1.3 million.
The below figures are hammer prices, which are the top bids received for an item.
Successful bidders must also cover
a buyer’s premium
and sales tax.
- “Tracking on the Athabasca,” Walter Joseph Phillips, 1934 (estimate: $15,000 to $25,000)
Sold for: $37,500
- “Hudson’s Bay Company York Boats at Norway House,” Walter Joseph Phillips, 1928 (estimate: $15,000 to $25,000)
Sold for: $130,000
Artist: Walter Joseph (W.J.) Phillips
Created: 1929
Estimate: $15,000 - $25,000 CAD
According to Heffel, the York boat was used by the Hudson’s Bay Company ‘to carry cargo through the inland lakes and waterways of Rupert’s Land, trading the lightness of a birchbark canoe for the size and durability of a full-sized wooden hull.’
(Source: Heffel)
- “Chief Trader Archibald McDonald Descending the Fraser, 1828,” Adam Sherriff Scott, circa 1942 (estimate: $7,000 to $9,000)
Sold for: $300,000
Artist: Adam Sherriff Scott
Created: 1942
Estimate: $7,000 - $9,000 CAD
In this work, ‘paddlers fore and aft work to pilot the open boat down the swirl of coloured water, while the brightly lit peaks of the Fraser River canyon swell behind them,’ according to Heffel.
(Source: Heffel)
- “Governor Douglas Leaving Fort Langley,” George Franklin Arbuckle, 1957 (estimate: $6,000 to $8,000)
Sold for: $27,500
- “McLoughlin Welcomes the Americans, Fort Vancouver, 1834,” Charles Fraser Comfort, 1935 (estimate: $10,000 to $15,000)
Sold for: $27,500
Artist: Charles Fraser Comfort
Created: 1941
Estimate: $10,000 - $15,000 CAD
According to Heffel, ‘Dr. John McLoughlin was chief factor of Fort Vancouver, in present-day Oregon, from 1824 to 1846.’
(Source: Heffel)
- “Governor George Simpson Welcomed by James Douglas, Fort St. James, B.C., 17th September 1828,” Adam Sherriff Scott, circa 1931 (estimate: $4,000 to $6,000)
Sold for: $35,000
Artist: Adam Sherriff Scott
Created: 1931
Estimate: $4,000 - $6,000 CAD
George Simpson was a Scottish fur trader, and was appointed associate governor of the Northern Department of the Hudson’s Bay Company, then amid a merger with rival North West Company, according to Heffel.
(Source: Heffel)
- “Hearne Builds Cumberland House, 1774-1775,” George Franklin Arbuckle, 1951 (estimate: $6,000 to $8,000)
Sold for: $50,000
Artist: George Franklin Arbuckle
Created: 1951
Estimate: $6,000 - $8,000 CAD
Cumberland House, known as Waskukikun or Waskahikanihk by the local Cree, was a fort established on the Saskatchewan River delta by Hudson’s Bay Company explorer Samuel Hearne in 1774, the Company’s first inland trading post, according to Heffel.
(Source: Heffel)
- “Last Dog Train Leaving Lower Fort Garry, 1909,” Charles Fraser Comfort, 1927 (estimate: $10,000 to $15,000)
Sold for: $100,000
Artist: Charles Fraser Comfort
Created: 1930
Estimate: $10,000 - $15,000 CAD
According to Heffel, ‘Lower Fort Garry on the Red River, also known as the Stone Fort, was built in 1831 some 32 kilometres downriver from Upper Fort Garry after flooding destroyed the original fort to the south in 1826. The upper fort was reconstructed by 1836, and the Stone Fort was never fully utilized as the administrative centre it was intended to be, serving off and on as an outpost for the fur trade until the HBC ceased operations there in 1911.’
(Source: Heffel)
- “Ambassadress of Peace,” George Franklin Arbuckle, circa 1952 (estimate: $8,000 to $12,000)
Sold for: $85,000
Artist: George Franklin Arbuckle
Created: 1952
Estimate: $8,000 - $12,000 CAD
According to Heffel, this work ‘is an important example from the Hudson’s Bay Company’s calendar paintings, in that it is one of a vanishingly few images that featured women, and the only one to depict a woman in a position of power.’
(Source: Heffel)
- “Red River Carts Leaving Fort Garry, 1863,” Adam Sherriff Scott, 1927 (estimate: $6,000 to $8,000)
Sold for: $70,000
Artist: Adam Sherriff Scott
Created: 1928
Estimate: $6,000 - $8,000 CAD
The artist ‘depicts one of these trains leaving the fort in early morning, turning away from the shadowed banks of the Assiniboine towards a glowing sunrise at the start of a lengthy journey,’ according to Heffel.
(Source: Heffel)
- “Troops at Upper Fort Garry, 1846-48,” Adam Sherriff Scott, circa 1945 (estimate: $6,000 to $8,000)
Sold for: $60,000
Artist: Adam Sherriff Scott
Created: 1945
Estimate: $6,000 - $8,000 CAD
According to Heffel, ‘this image depicts a soldier, presumably his wife, returning to Upper Fort Garry, the central administrative hub for the Hudson’s Bay Company during the middle of the 19th century.’
(Source: Heffel)
- “Discovery of the Coppermine River by Samuel Hearne,” Frank Hans (Franz) Johnston, circa 1922 (estimate: $10,000 to $15,000)
Sold for: $70,000
- “Trading Ceremony at York Factory, 1780s,” Adam Sherriff Scott, circa 1954 (estimate: $6,000 to $8,000)
Sold for: $80,000
Artist: Adam Sherriff Scott
Created: 1956
Estimate: $6,000 - $8,000 CAD
In this depiction, ‘a troop of late-eighteenth-century British colonial soldiers exit the Hudson’s Bay Company headquarters of York Factory, flags held high and drums banging, carrying trade goods including clothing and casks of brandy.
(Source: Heffel)
- “The Spring Fur Brigade Leaves Lachine,” George Franklin Arbuckle, circa 1946 (estimate: $6,000 to $8,000)
Sold for: $80,000
Artist: George Franklin Arbuckle
Created: 1948
Estimate: $6,000 - $8,000 CAD
According to Heffel, ‘Lachine proved to be an excellent location to both store the HBC’s trade goods and to assemble and launch the flotillas of trading canoes headed westbound towards Lake Superior.’
(Source: Heffel)
- “Radisson and des Groseilliers Trading with Indians at Rupert House, 1671,” Lorne Holland Bouchard, 1968 (estimate: $4,000 to $6,000)
Sold for: $42,500
Artist: Lorne Holland Bouchard
Created: 1956
Estimate: $4,000 - $6,000 CAD
Rupert House, also known as Fort Charles, was first the Cree community of Waskaganish, according to Heffel.
(Source: Heffel)
- “Barnston and Ballantyne at Tadoussac, 1846,” Charles Fraser Comfort, 1941 (estimate: $10,000 to $15,000)
Sold for: $475,000
Artist: Charles Fraser Comfort
Created: 1941
Estimate: $10,000 - $15,000 CAD
‘This painting depicts two traders of the Hudson’s Bay Company arriving at their posting at Tadoussac, Quebec, while a guide points the way to the village over the frozen Saguenay River,’ according to Heffel.
(Source: Heffel)
- “The Council of the Northern Department of Rupert’s Land, Meeting at Norway House, June 21, 1836,” Charles Fraser Comfort, circa 1934 (estimate: $6,000 to $8,000)
Sold for: $40,000
Artist: Charles Fraser Comfort
Created: 1936
Estimate: $6,000 - $8,000 CAD
According to Heffel, this painting is ‘an example of the Hudson’s Bay Company calendar serving to reinforce an idealized image of strength and authority tied to the Company’s colonial presence.’
(Source: Heffel)
- “Trading with a Hudson’s Bay Company Ship, 17th Century,” George Franklin Arbuckle, 1955 (estimate: $6,000 to $8,000)
Sold for: $180,000
Artist: George Franklin Arbuckle
Created: 1957
Estimate: $6,000 - $8,000 CAD
In this work, ‘Inuit expertly navigate the ice floes, bringing fox furs and polar bear skins by kayak, showcase the reach of these early trading relationships,’ according to Heffel.
(Source: Heffel)
- “Dr. John Rae Meets with Eskimos (Franklin Expedition),” Charles Fraser Comfort, 1949 (estimate: $10,000 to $15,000)
Sold for: $140,000
Artist: Charles Fraser Comfort
Created: 1949
Estimate: $10,000 - $15,000 CAD
According to Heffel, this work details a recreation of an encounter between Scottish explorer Dr. John Rae and Inuit hunters.
(Source: Heffel)
- “Samuel Black at Finlay River,” John I. Innes, 1929 (estimate: $6,000 to $8,000)
Sold for: $50,000
Artist: John I. Innes
Created: 1929
Estimate: $6,000 - $8,000 CAD
According to Heffel, ‘Samuel Black was something of an oddity even among the long list of eccentric outdoorsmen employed by the Hudson’s Bay Company during its early history.’
(Source: Heffel)
- “Lights of a City Street,” Frederic Marlett Bell-Smith, 1894, (estimate: $100,000 to $150,000)
Sold for: $575,000
- “Rear Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson,” William von Moll Berczy, 1807-1808 (estimate: $70,000 to $90,000)
Sold for: $100,000
Artist: William von Moll Berczy
Created: 1807-1808
Estimate: $70,000 - $90,000 CAD
In this depiction of the critical Battle of Trafalgar, Rear Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson wears the Star and Ribbon of the Order of the Bath on the breast of his uniform and the Naval Gold Medal around his neck, according to Heffel.
(Source: Heffel)
- “Battle of Trafalgar,” William von Moll Berczy, 1807-1808 (estimate: $70,000 to $90,000)
Sold for: $110,000
Artist: William von Moll Berczy
Created: 1948
Estimate: $70,000 - $90,000 CAD
This works depicts the ‘triumphant British vessels circle in behind with flags flying, coming to rescue the enemy sailors adrift, according to Heffel.
(Source: Heffel)
- “Marrakech,” Sir Winston Churchill, circa 1935 (estimate: $400,000 to 600,000)
Sold for: $1.3 million
Artist: Sir Winston Spencer Churchill
Created: 1935
Estimate: $400,000 - $600,000 CAD
According to Heffel, Sir Winston Churchill gifted this work to his wife, Lady Clementine Ogilvy Spencer-Churchill, which she then gifted to the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1956.
(Source: Heffel)
- “Three Hudson’s Bay Company Ships in the Thames (King George, Prince Rupert, Sea Horse),” Francis Holman, 1771 (estimate: $6,000 to $8,000)
Sold for: $375,000
Artist: Francis Holman
Created: 1771
Estimate: $6,000 - $8,000 CAD
According to Heffel, this work offers a ‘striking and carefully composed portrait of three key vessels in the service of the Hudson’s Bay Company: the King George, Prince Rupert and Sea Horse.’
(Source: Heffel)
- “Christmas at Morgan’s” Adrien Hébert, circa 1936 to 1937 (estimate: $40,000 to $60,000)
Sold for: $210,000
Artist: Adrien Hébert
Created: 1936-1937
Estimate: $40,000 - $60,000 CAD
The artist ‘masterfully captures the jubilant energy of the season in this charming theatrical vignette, set against the illuminated backdrop of the holiday window,’ according to Heffel. (Source: Heffel)
- “Bay Watch,” Charles Pachter, 2011 (estimate: $15,000 to $25,000)
Sold for: $150,000
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 19, 2025.
My opinion: The paintings were good and all, but I didn't really find them interesting to look at.
Jan. 12, 2026 "198 Hudson’s Bay artifacts, from Indigenous art to canoe paddles, head to auction": Today I found this article on BNN Bloomberg:
A ceramic Hudson’s Bay marionette is seen in this handout image. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - Heffel Fine Art Auction House (Mandatory Credit) (HO)
The latest round of Hudson’s Bay treasures to hit the auction block is packed with ephemera and Indigenous art.
Heffel Fine Art Auction House revealed Monday that the 198 pieces that will go up for sale Tuesday include
canoe paddles,
marionettes,
coins,
suitcases
and model boats
that once belonged to the fallen department store.
Heffel has been auctioning off tranches of Hudson’s Bay’s 4,400 pieces of art and artifacts since November to help the defunct retailer recoup cash for its creditors.
While the lone in-person auction Heffel hosted in November focused on art and the first online sale, which ran through December,
added HBC point blankets to the mix,
the next auction focuses heavily on retail-era curios.
There’s an
HBC typewriter,
hockey jersey,
model train tanker,
a Steiff teddy bear wearing one of the company’s striped coats
and even a plaster mould for the retailer’s coat of arms.
Also up for sale is a poster from the
1940 film “Hudson’s Bay” starring Paul Muni and Gene Tierney,
an Arcadian Court Barbie,
a Beaver pocket watch
and an RCMP commemorative sword.
Many of the items,
including a slew of striped blankets as old as 1930,
hearken back to HBC’s origins as a fur-trading business born in 1670.
For example,
there’s a replica of an oil and gas beaver pelt cheque,
a “land for offer” sign
and a Churchill, Man., “first shipment” souvenir plate.
Other items came from businesses HBC acquired like Simpson’s and Morgan’s.
Up for sale are
a Serenader Bakelite radio,
large bronze store signs
and silver kitchenware belonging to the former
and a vintage, red cash register from the latter.
The item with the highest estimated value is Kenojuak Ashevak’s 1961 print called “A Vision of Animals.”
Heffel believes it is worth up to $15,000.
Most of the other items are priced at just a few hundred dollars or less,
though auction house estimates are typically much lower than what items eventually sell for.
Joining the Ashevak piece are dozens of other works from the artist,
Pitseolak Ashoona,
Josephie Pootoogook
as well as stone sculptures of animals.
The auction will run on Heffel’s website until Jan. 27.
Several more sales will be held throughout the remainder of the year.
Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press
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