After the Hudson’s Bay Company closed in 2025, the brass signs around the exterior of the flagship store — bounded by Queen St W, Yonge St, Richmond St W, and Bay St — were removed, revealing “SIMPSONS” in the stone beneath.
The HBC signs featured the company’s Coat of Arms and included the incorporation date of 2nd May 1670. Each sign measured approximately 74 cm by 103 cm. In April 2026, eight of these signs were sold at auction, with final bids ranging from $9,000 to $15,000.
The building was originally home to the Robert Simpson Co. department store, which opened in the mid-1890s. In 1978, the Hudson’s Bay Company acquired the property, and in 1991, this location transitioned from Simpsons to The Bay. Note that these photographs were taken from two different locations on the building.
Then and Now
SOURCE
- City of Toronto Heritage Register
- Heritage Toronto
- Ontario Heritage Trust
- The Globe and Mail Newspaper Archives: Jun 6, 1991, pg B1 & B4
- Heffel: HBC Collection Online Auction
- Photo: Denise Marie for TorontoJourney416
- City of Toronto: Maps
- Toronto City Directory courtesy of Toronto Public Library
