Morgan's facts for kids
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Henry Morgan Building, the flagship store in Downtown Montreal (1890s)
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| Industry | Retail |
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| Fate | Acquired by the Hudson's Bay Company |
| Successor | The Bay |
| Founded | 1845 in Montreal, Quebec |
| Founder | Henry Morgan |
| Defunct | 1973 |
| Headquarters | 585 Saint Catherine Street West,
Montreal, Quebec
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Canada
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Number of locations
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11 (at peak) |
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Area served
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| Owner | Hudson's Bay Company (1960–1973) |
Henry Morgan & Company, often called Morgan's, was a famous Canadian department store. It was started by Henry Morgan in 1845. The very first store opened in Montreal.
Over time, Morgan's grew to have 11 stores. These stores were located in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. In 1960, a larger company called Hudson's Bay Company bought Morgan's.
After the purchase, many Morgan's stores changed their names. Most stores in Ontario became part of The Bay in 1968. The Morgan's stores in Quebec were renamed La Baie in 1972. The main Morgan's store in Downtown Montreal is still an important building for the Hudson's Bay Company today.
Contents
The Story of Morgan's Stores
How Morgan's Began in Montreal
The first Morgan's store opened in Montreal in 1845. It was started by Henry Morgan, who was an immigrant from Scotland. The store was first located on Notre Dame Street.
It moved a few times in its early years. In 1891, a big new main store was built. This store was at 585 Saint Catherine Street West. This area was becoming the main shopping street in Montreal.
Growing Across Cities
The second Morgan's store opened in 1950. It was on Queen Mary Road in the Snowdon area of Montreal. More stores then opened in other parts of Montreal. Morgan's also expanded to several cities in Ontario.
Henry Morgan and his partner, David Smith, first owned the store together. Later, Henry's brother, James Morgan, bought Smith's share. The Morgan family owned and managed the business for over 100 years.
Becoming Part of The Bay
In 1960, the Hudson's Bay Company bought Morgan's. This was a big change for the company.
In January 1968, Morgan's stores in Toronto and Hamilton changed their names. They became "The Bay." This name was already well-known in Western Canada. It had also been used in Ontario for a couple of years. Four Morgan's stores in these two cities were rebranded. However, the store on Bloor Street in Toronto kept the Morgan's name for a while. It was still managed by The Bay.
The Morgan's stores in Quebec changed their name to "La Baie" on June 19, 1972.
The Morgan's store on Sparks Street in Ottawa stayed open a bit longer. It closed on April 14, 1973. All employees from this store were offered new jobs. They moved to stores in the Freimans chain. Hudson's Bay Company had bought Freimans the year before. Freiman's stores also became "The Bay" a few months later.
A Special Bowl from 1945
In 1945, Morgan's Department Store celebrated its 100th birthday. To mark this special event, they ordered a unique bowl. It was made by Wedgwood and designed by Keith Murray.
The bowl showed pictures of Montreal in 1845 and 1945. It also had portraits of Jean Baptiste and John Bull. These were surrounded by colorful maple leaves, shamrocks, roses, thistles, and fleur-de-lis. These symbols celebrated Montreal's French and English history.
Inside the bowl, you could see Montreal's coat of arms. Its motto was "Concordia Salus," which means "Salvation Through Harmony." There were also inscriptions in English and French. They mentioned that Jacques Cartier discovered the area in 1534. They also noted that Maisonneuve founded the city in 1642. The bottom of the bowl showed the Morgan's and Wedgwood logos. It also listed Montreal's population in 1845 (45,000) and 1945 (1,500,000).
What Happened to Former Morgan's Stores
Some buildings that were once Morgan's stores continued as The Bay. These included the main store in downtown Montreal. Also, suburban locations in Eglinton Square Shopping Centre and Rockland Centre were once Morgan's.
The Bay store at Rockland moved to a new spot within the same mall in 1983. The Eglinton Square store became a liquidation outlet in 2023. All three of these stores, along with others in the Hudson's Bay chain, were closed in 2025.
Other Montreal locations, like those in the Boulevard Shopping Centre and Dorval Gardens malls, closed more recently. The Boulevard store closed in 2018, and Dorval Gardens in 2021. In Ontario, most The Bay stores that used to be Morgan's locations closed between the 1970s and 2000s.
Where Morgan's Stores Were Located
- Montreal
- St. Catherine St. (opened 1845)
- Queen Mary Road (opened 1950)
- Le Boulevard Shopping Centre (opened 1953)
- Dorval Gardens (opened 1954)
- Centre Rockland (opened 1959)
- Toronto
- Bloor/Yonge (opened 1950)
- Lawrence Plaza (opened 1955)
- Cloverdale Mall (opened 1960)
- Eglinton Square (opened 1963)
- Hamilton
- Greater Hamilton Shopping Centre (opened 1957)
- Ottawa
- Sparks Street (opened 1951)
Images for kids
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Previous logo in 1960
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Morgan's in 1939, preparing for a royal visit
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Morgan's at Christmastime, 1944
See also
- List of Canadian department stores
