Harley Finkelstein, the president of Shopify, has publicly stated his desire to purchase the recently removed Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) sign from its former flagship store on Queen Street in Toronto. His initiative comes in response to a post on X (formerly Twitter) that highlighted the sign's removal. Finkelstein’s intention is to display the sign prominently, which he sees as a way to inspire and elevate Canadian entrepreneurs, making a statement about the importance of local businesses and their heritage.

In a post on social media, he questioned who was behind the sign's removal, expressing his eagerness to see it preserved rather than discarded. The Hudson's Bay Company, a long-standing retailer in Canada, holds historical significance, and Finkelstein’s proposal has sparked discussions about preserving such symbols of Canadian business history. His outreach to the public for help in acquiring the sign reflects a broader concern about heritage conservation and the challenges faced by traditional retail in an evolving marketplace.

IntegrityTO, the advocacy group that originally brought attention to the sign's removal, responded to Finkelstein's inquiry. They revealed their efforts to engage with local government and heritage boards, aiming to promote responsible governance around such cultural artifacts. This interaction indicates growing interest in how cities manage their historical icons and how private individuals and entities, like Finkelstein and Shopify, could play a role in preserving them for the community.