The Globe and Mail reports in its Saturday edition that competition in the auction for the 1670 Hudson's Bay Company founding charter is intensifying. The Globe's Susan Krashinsky Robertson writes that HBC has proposed an auction date of Oct. 15 and requested a court hearing on Sept. 29 to approve the process. The preservation of the document amid the dissolution of Canada's oldest retailer has raised concerns among the federal government, first nations leaders, historians and cultural groups. In court proceedings, HBC separated its art and artifacts collection, including the charter, from the sale of its other corporate assets. Reflect Advisors informed potential buyers that details about the charter auction would be provided once court approval was granted. While interested parties were told that Reflect would not accept bids ahead of the auction, one party, the Weston family's Wittington Investments, did come forward. The court scheduled a hearing into the Wittington deal and set a deadline for other parties to make submissions on the matter. On Aug. 21, David Thomson filed documents indicating his interest in submitting a bid of at least $15-million to buy the charter and donate it to the Archives of Manitoba.