The holiday season in Toronto brings up all kinds of traditions for different people. Maybe that’s a visit to the Distillery Winter Village, or admiring the twinkling Christmas lights in Yorkville. But for many, at one point, it was strolling by the Hudson’s Bay holiday windows in Toronto’s Financial District — often decked with things like nutcrackers, tiny elves and fake snow. Now that the company has liquidated and closed all stores in Canada, what does that mean for the iconic holiday windows?
The Hudson’s Bay Company, known as Canada’s oldest retailer, filed for creditor protection earlier this year and eventually closed all retail stores in Canada by June 2025.
Back in 2023, the Hudson’s Bay flagship store ceased their holiday window displays due to Ontario Line construction on Queen Street. Of course, back then, there was hope that the Christmas tradition would return once construction was over. But now, with the closure of all Hudson’s Bay locations, we can sadly say that the wintry windows are gone for good.
For decades, the Hudson’s Bay holiday windows have enchanted Torontonians and visitors alike. Originally, the windows that city goers looked forward to belonged to the Canadian department store Simpson’s, the original occupants of the building.
Although the exact date is unknown, by around the 1930s Simpson’s began to indulge in the art of the holiday window. Simpson’s made it a magical spectacle that drew crowds to its windows, and thus a tradition was born.
When the Hudson’s Bay moved into the building by 1978 after Simspon’s struggled with financial woes, they adopted the same ritual. Over time, it was clear that these windows weren’t just a spot to stop by and gaze at the displays. It became a yearly unveiling that rivaled even large U.S. department stores like Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s holiday window reveals.
In past years, windows have replicated the nativity scene, and have also featured winter wonderlands fit with snowmen. In 2019 the store even did an interactive Santa’s workshop theme, followed by a ceremony with then-Mayor John Tory.
One famous window display in 2016 rang in the holiday season with an enchanted forest theme which had 34 hand-sculpted spirit holiday animals and huge LED walls, as well as mixed garlands and twinkling lights. People gathering to see the unveiling were also welcomed with a performance by Mariah Carey.
Although Torontonians won’t be able to congregate at the celebrated Queen and Yonge windows (and thanks to the continued Ontario Line work on Queen Street, that entire stretch is blocked off to the public anyway), other holiday windows are scattered throughout the city. Consider other spectacular displays around the city like Holt Renfrew’s Bloor Street location or the windows at the Fairmont Royal York. The Junction neighbourhood has also made a tradition out of their Winter Wonderland art exhibition, transforming the area into a free outdoor art gallery with 20 stops full of holiday magic.
Nevertheless, The Hudson’s Bay windows were an iconic memory in Toronto and will be missed by holiday-lovers across the city.
