Canada’s oldest company closes its doors

Episode 835 of the Plain English podcast, hosted by Jeff at Plain English, titled "Canada’s oldest company closes its doors" was published on February 2, 2026 and runs 11 minutes.

February 2, 2026 ·11m · Plain English

0:00 / 0:00

Episode Description

Today's story: The Hudson’s Bay Company started as a fur trading monopoly in British North America, thanks to a royal charter signed by King Charles II. It later became a retail empire with department stores across Canada. But after years of falling sales and intense competition from big-box and online retailers, the company shut down for good in 2025. Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/835

Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/835

--

Plain English helps you improve your English:

Learn about the world and improve your English
Clear, natural English at a speed you can understand
New stories every week
Learn even more at PlainEnglish.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Hard words? No problem

Never be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

Share this episode

Similar Episodes

Part 6: Section 2

Apr 11, 2026 ·11m

Part 6: Section 3

Apr 11, 2026 ·19m

Part 6: Section 4

Apr 11, 2026 ·37m

Part 6: Section 5

Apr 11, 2026 ·28m

Part 6: Section 6

Apr 11, 2026 ·18m

Part 6: Section 7

Apr 11, 2026 ·22m

Similar Podcasts

Sex: Avoided Subjects Discussed in Plain English (version 2) by Henry Stanton Loyal Books Henry Stanton was appalled at the shocking lack of information given to young people about sex and reproduction in his time. He felt this was a crime that needed to be fixed and so he wrote this book explaining sex for young and old. Ignorance of basic reproductive processes he felt led to experimentation that then led to sin, crime and prostitution. While this book is definitely not written in what I would call Plain English, contains some very questionable 'facts' about masturbation and menstruation and might seem very moralistic and dogmatic to our current society, he does hold out high ideas for all in affairs of self respect, love and marriage. If nothing else, this is a delightful peek into the thoughts of almost all people our very recent country's past The Sefer HaSichos Podcast (5751-5752) Rabbi Mendel Lipskier FIRST EVER PODCAST LAUNCHED TO LEARN THE REBBE'S SEFER HASICHOS IN PLAIN ENGLISHProject Likkutei Torah (PLT) and Rabbi Mendel Lipskier present a detailed overview of the weekly talks of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, as edited and printed in the latter volumes of public addresses in the years 5751-5752 (1991-1992), which he painstakingly annotated and prepared for publication.Visit ProjectLT.org to learn more about PLT's other programs. It is highly recommended to use the podcast as an aid to learn the entire Sicha in its original text which can be purchased directly on the Kehot website. Please suggestions or inquiries to [email protected]. Online Marketing Magic Fritha Stuttard We are here to take away the fear of digital marketing - and to break it down into easy-to-understand lessons - in plain English!Done well, digital marketing is like a magic wand that brings you visibility, customers and profit! The Lawyer and the Layman™️ The Lawyer and the Layman A fun laidback Podcast hosted by Journalist Yolisa Mkele (the Layman) and Family Law Expert Jennifer Stoler (the Lawyer). The pair translates South African legalese into plain English.The goal is simple: Educate, Empower, Uplift and Entertain.There will be none of that highfalutin legal speak here, just two friends (and sometimes guest speakers) talking about the law, its workings and giving people the tools to protect themselves.Buckle up – it is going to be a ride

URL copied to clipboard!