A photo of the Winnipeg Hudson’s Bay Company Department Store in 1939. 

‘Round the Clock Hostess was written and published by the Hudson’s Bay Company department store located in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Hudson’s Bay Company was originally known for its success as a British fur trade company established in May 1670, and began playing a role in Canada’s retail market to better serve the growing population’s of cities such as Saskatoon, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, Victoria, and Winnipeg. The Winnipeg location, which can be credited for the publication of this book, was originally built in 1881 and became one of the greatest retail stores in Canada by 1926. By the late 1940's the Hudson’s Bay Company largely influenced the cultural values of its customers through the products they sold and promoted. Knowledge of the standard diet, sought after foods, and social norms in Manitoba provided the HBC with the ability to act as a reliable source of information for local customers. The beliefs of the company’s Winnipeg establishment were largely based on the paternalistic ideas that encouraged elite exclusiveness and the socialization of lower classes. Through their publication of this guide to hosting various events the company is targeting women, and the role they are encouraged to play in establishing social position for their family, to sell the products and services of the department stores Hostess Shop. Helpful guide books such as these, and the many others one can assume were created, prove that the HBC grew to be a significant part of daily life for the people living in the Canadian West.