Costumed interpreters recreate daily life in the 1800s at Manitoba's Lower Fort Garry. -- Photos courtesy of Travel Manitoba

Sold but not forgotten. When the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) was acquired by an American financier earlier this year, many bemoaned the loss of a Canadian corporate icon -- a 336-year link shattered.

Yet, many physical vestiges of the venerable company remain on Canadian soil. Old HBC fur trading posts and forts -- some of which are National Historic Sites -- have become tourist attractions, as have thousands of related artifacts now housed in Canadian museums.

Ironically, while the sale was being negotiated, at least two important HBC sites (the Prince of Wales Fort near Churchill and several HBC buildings in Moose Factory) were undergoing restoration.

LOWER FORT GARRY

If you only have time for one Hudson's Bay Company site in Manitoba, this fort, on the banks of the Red River 32 km north of Winnipeg, is a good choice. Built by the HBC between 1830 and 1852, it was originally the headquarters of the fur trade for all of the Canadian North West.

The oldest intact stone fur trading post in North America has about a dozen original buildings including the Big House (Governor's home), men's house, farm manager's cottage and warehouse.

Visitors can touch the furs in the fur loft or watch as costumed interpreters bake bannock, spin wool and forge nails in the blacksmith's shop.

Programs run through Labour Day. Contact 1-877 LFG-FORT or parkscanada.gc.ca/ lowerfortgarry.

MANITOBA MUSEUM

One of the best places to learn about the 300-year history of the HBC is at the Manitoba Museum in Winnipeg. It's home to the Hudson's Bay Company Museum Collection and holds more than 10,000 artifacts. On display are treaty medals, trade goods and a York boat -- the last to ply the waters of Lake Winnipeg.

Nearby is a renowned replica of the 17th century ketch Nonsuch, which made a successful trading voyage to James Bay in 1668 that led to the formation of the HBC. Check manitobamuseum.ca.

NORTHERN MANITOBA FORTS

Built to protect the HBC's fur trading business from rivals, the Prince of Wales Fort took 40 years to construct and only a few days for the French to destroy. A National Historic Site, the partially rebuilt stone fort with its star-shaped bastions and thick walls is on the edge of Hudson Bay. In the summer, tours are offered by Parks Canada staff -- one of whom is armed in case of bear encounters!

To reach the fort, take a short boat ride from Cape Merry, 1 km west of Churchill. An added bonus if visiting in July or August is a chance to see and hear Beluga whales and their calves in the Churchill River. Check cancom.net/~seanorth or call Sea North Tours at 1-888-348-7591.

A Lower Fort Garry interpreter. The fort was built by the HBC between 1830 and 1852.

Even more remote than Prince of Wales Fort is York Factory at the mouth of the Hayes River. A huge fur-trade era depot in the Hudson Bay wilderness, it was the gateway to the interior for British trade goods, HBC employees, settlers and soldiers. It's accessible by charter aircraft and boat.

FORT SELKIRK, YUKON

Many Hudson's Bay Company sites are off the beaten track and Fort Selkirk, 250 km north of Whitehorse is no exception. The only way to get here is by float plane from Pelly Crossing or by boat from Minto -- a 40 km trip on the Yukon River.

The fort, established by Robert Campbell for HBC in 1848, has about 40 restored buildings -- some dating to 1892 -- and includes an Anglican church and a general store. This is one of the few communities in the territory to pre-date the Gold Rush.

Big River Enterprises offers a six-hour tour for $125 that includes boat transportation and time to explore the site on your own or with a First Nations interpreter. Your chance of seeing bears or moose in this wilderness setting are better here than along the highway, so bring a camera. Tours run from May 25 to Sept. 10. Contact 1-867-537-3551 or bigriveryukon.ca.

MOOSE FACTORY, ONTARIO

More than 300 years after the HBC established a fur trade post in this island community near James Bay, beaver pelts can still be found in the HBC Staff House -- but now they're not for sale. They're on display.

The large white house, the oldest building on the island, has become a museum, where you can see the trapper's tools and learn about life in Moose Factory during the fur trade era.

Nearby in Centennial Park is a restored blacksmith's shop, a powder magazine and the oldest known remaining HBC servant house in Canada, built in 1864. An old cemetery contains tombstones of early European explorers, settlers and missionaries.