The Bay department store rebranded as Hudson's Bay

A man walks past the Hudson's Bay Company sign in downtown Toronto on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2009. (Nathan Denette / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

TORONTO -- The Bay is going back to its roots under a plan to rebrand its operations with a different name and new logo.

The department store retailer says it will now be called Hudson's Bay, a nod to its parent company.

A refreshed logo uses the company's name in a simple type face.

The full version resurrects its corporate coat of arms, which features two a shield and cross, as well as beavers, a fox and two elk.

A spokeswoman for the company says the rest of the rebranding effort will rollout over time.

The new logo already has been incorporated into the company's loyalty program, which will now be called Hudson's Bay Rewards.

The retailer called the reworking of its brand "a marriage between yesterday's history and tomorrow's vision."

Plans are to gradually take down The Bay signs at its retail locations, though it doesn't have a timeline for the changes.

The parent company will maintain its logo of a flag with the letters "HBC" -- for Hudson's Bay Company.

Hudson's Bay says this is its first major logo change since 1965.