Rupert's Land before its incorporation into the Britannic Design.
The Hudson's Bay Company was a corporation established by royal charter in 1670 as The Governor and Company of Adventurers of England trading into Hudson's Bay. The Hudson's Bay Company was granted a monopoly over the North American fur trade in the region of the Hudson Bay drainage basin, known as Rupert's Land.
At the time of the North American Rebellion, the Hudson's Bay Company controlled 15% of the land area of North America, making it the largest landowner on the continent. Despite the company's major role in North American affairs, it is never mentioned in For Want of a Nail ...
The incorporation of Rupert's Land into the Confederations of Manitoba and Quebec under the Britannic Design must be inferred from the descriptions of their borders. After its incorporation, the Hudson's Bay Company would have been the largest private landowner in both confederations. It is possible that the company was required to yield control of the area to the Crown under the Design, though it is difficult to imagine that Sobel would neglect to mention such an important event. It is also possible that the company's charter was amended to require that it surrender control of such arable land as the Crown might require, while keeping the rest.
North City, the capital of Manitoba, was most likely York Factory, the company headquarters, renamed after Lord North.