History of Rupert's Land
History of Rupert's Land. Rupert's Land was a former territory in Canada that was owned by the Hudson's Bay Company. It was named for Prince Rupert, first governor of the company. Under a charter granted in 1670 by Charles II of England, the company received all land in which the rivers drained into Hudson Bay. This area included the western part of present-day Quebec, northern Ontario, all of Manitoba, most of Saskatchewan and Alberta, and the eastern portion of the Northwest Territories. The company maintained control of Rupert's Land until 1869, when it transferred title to the Dominion of Canada. The company retained certain tracts, mainly around trading posts.