History of Regina Shopping & Storefronts
The history of Canadian retail is a fascinating chapter of our country’s story. Without the fashion industry trends of 17th century Europe, and the following developments that ensued, one can argue that shopping in Canada would not be what it is today. In the modern age, Canadian retailers continue to supply the country’s citizens with countless products that assist us and bring delight whilst acting as a pillar for our economy. Read more to learn about the foundations that the Hudson’s Bay Company set for shopping in Canada and the advancements that followed and continue to be made.
Interior of the Cornwall Centre in Regina. Photo Credit: Tourism Saskatchewan
The origins of shopping in Canada can be attributed to the dominate enterprise of the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) as it provided the necessary groundwork to further develop the retail industry within the country. From 1670 to 1987, the HBC established and operated hundreds of trading posts (which were sometimes called factories or forts) across Canada and the northwestern U.S.A, originating as a fur trade company where Indigenous trappers could exchange furs for valued European products including weapons, alcohol, tobacco, metal objects and glass beads. The main fur type was that of the beaver, as companies overseas required an endless supply of beaver pelts to create the beaver felt hats that were all the rage back in 17th century Europe. At first formal currency was not involved in the trade as explained by the Bank of Canada Museum, “Initially, the fur suppliers were paid with a variety of local items: tally sticks, bone (or stone) discs and shells or beads. They could then exchange these objects for supplies or goods at one of the hundreds of trading posts throughout Rupert’s Land. Later traders used small silver decorative items made from melted coins. Each represented a specific number of made beavers”. For over two centuries HBC had expanded throughout North America, building an intricate network of over five hundred outposts that covered the area between the Atlantic, the Pacific, and the Arctic. This was accomplished due to the fact that King Charles II signed a charter that gave the HBC complete control of the territory referred to as Rupert’s Land in 1670. In 1774, HBC was able to expand into western Canada, and they established posts in what would later become the provinces of Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba and British Columbia. The first inland trading post of the HBC was Fort Cumberland, which was founded in 1774 by Samuel Hearne in Saskatchewan. According to the Hudson’s Bay Company Archives, there were 53 HBC trading posts in Saskatchewan alone.
By 1870, the Hudson’s Bay Company surrendered Rupert’s Land to the Canadian government. This coincided with the time when Indigenous tribes on the prairies faced tremendous hardships due to the dramatic decrease in the bison population, leading them to sign a series of treaties which would enable the government of Canada to begin constructing the Canadian Pacific Railway that would connect British Columbia with the rest of the country. At this time, fur was finally falling out of fashion after two centuries of popularity - and the HBC started to venture out into a new business model. The railway brought many immigrants to the west and the HBC schemed to be the top provider of goods for this influx of people. By the late 1800s, the HBC had naturally transitioned from a fur trading operation into a series of storefronts that sold a wide array of items such as pots, pans, seeds, baking/cooking supplies and more!
Simpsons Department store in Regina c. September 9, 1911. Photo from the REM collection.
Interior of McBride's Ltd, in Regina c. 1920s. Photo from the REM collection.
During the rise of urbanization in the late 1800s and early 1900s, department stores began to be established throughout Canada. The first Canadian department store was called Morgan’s, and opened in the mid 1800s by Henry Morgan in Montreal. Morgan’s would eventually be acquired by the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1960. The revolutionary concept of the department store was the future of the HBC since there were an increasing amount of settlers in towns and cities compared to rural areas and their company began to focus on the urban demographic. The success of early department stores was aided by the improvements of local transit and roadways, allowing citizens to easily commute into the downtown areas to shop. In 1913, the HBC opened six flagship department stores across western Canada in Saskatoon, Calgary, Edmonton, Victoria, Vancouver and Winnipeg. These department stores were incredibly large even by today’s standards, meaning that they employed the most staff and were the largest importers in their respective cities. Department stores were a marvel in their society as they introduced locals to many technological innovations like escalators, air conditioning, elevators and electrical lighting whilst spurring on mass production, consumption and fashion.
In the 1900s, department stores also inspired women’s rights and independence. They played a pivotal role for women since they provided a venue for social interaction and leisure for their female clients. This was because prior to the establishment of department stores, women in urban areas were restricted when it came to social events as they required the accompaniment of a chaperone or servant when out in public. But that wasn’t necessary in a department store, where it was socially acceptable for a woman to shop alone! Department stores also aided in women’s rights by becoming key employers of women, which allowed them to have professional careers of their own as well as their own income to financially support themselves and their families. In Canada, subsidiaries of the HBC were some of the top department stores including Simpsons, Fields, and Marshall Wells. By the 1980s, the HBC, Sears Canada, and The T. Eaton Co had a combined traditional department store market share of approximately 75%.
Sears building in Regina. c.1925
The Sears building was built in 1915 on 4th Avenue and Broad street near the Regina cemetery, and originally housed the Robert Thompson Co. Western Mail Order. In the 1930s, the first 4 floors of the building held a full-service department store that was operated by the Robert Simpson Company until 1946 when they purchased and moved to the R.H. Williams and Sons Department Store. The structure on Broad street transitioned into the wholesale wing of the Robert Simpson Company, which evolved into a location for the Sears company after Simpson’s went through a merger with their corporation. Sears was an American chain that was founded in 1892 and Sears Canada began as Simpsons-Sears in 1952. Sears Canada remained in business until 2018.
Williams & Sons Department store c.1925
In 1946, the R.H. Williams & Sons Department store at 11th Avenue and Hamilton Street in Regina was purchased by the Robert Simpson Company to house a full-service department store. The Robert Simpson Company Limited began as a singular store in Newmarket, Ontario that opened in 1858 by Robert Simpson. The company eventually grew to become a famous Canadian department store chain that was the T. Eaton company’s top competitor. It would merge with the American department store chain Sears to form Simpsons-Sears in 1952. Later on, The Hudson’s Bay Company would end up purchasing all of the Simpsons branded stores in 1978 where they were subsequently converted into ‘The Bay’ stores during the early 1990s. Afterwards, the U.S. based Sears acquired full ownership of Simpsons-Sears Limited and the Simpsons name was wiped out.
Capital Grocery in Regina c.1920s. One of the earliest grocery stores in Regina. Photo from the REM collection.
Simpsons Department store in Regina c. 1970s. Photo from Regina Archives.
In 2023, Canadian retailers earned $794.4 Billion in sales, which is a 2.2% increase from the previous year. The retail industry in Canada continues to prevail despite the competition of online shopping. Rather than department stores, popular shopping venues in Regina have transitioned to include shopping centers like the Cornwall Centre, Southland Mall, Scarth Street Mall, and the Victoria Square Shopping Centre.