HBC Blazer

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Employees with the Hudson’s Bay Company did not always have a uniform, although workers in certain roles were required to observe a dress code for specific events or tasks.

Dress blazers were issued to higher-ranking employees like post managers. The garments featured a coat of arms that was embroidered on the chest pocket and embossed on the brass buttons.

This 1940s-era blazer belonged to John Lawrie, who came to Canada from Scotland in 1928 to work for the HBC. Lawrie served at posts in northern British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba before rising in the ranks to become a post manager in 1932.