Winnie-the-Pooh Statue, White River, Ontario, Canada

This colorful twenty-five-foot statue of Winnie-the-Pooh in a tree honors the birthplace of White River's most famous citizen. It is in White River Visitor Park, clearly seen from the south side of the Trans-Canada Highway.On August 24, 1914, during the First World War, a tiny female black bear cub was brought by a local trapper to the Canadian Pacific Railway Station in White River.

On this fateful day a troop train bound for Val Cartier, Quebec, stopped at the CPR station and a young Canadian Army veterinarian, Lt. Harry Colebourn from Winnipeg, disembarked. He noticed the little bear cub and purchased her from the trapper for $20. Colebourn named the cub Winnipeg, later shortened to Winnie, after his home town.

Winnie became the mascot of the 34th Fort Garry Horse Regiment and accompanied them overseas to England. When the regiment received orders to go to the front lines in France, Winnie was left in care of the London Zoo.

Winnie was an exceptional and gentle bear and soon became the feature attraction at the zoo. She captivated the hearts of many Londoners, especially Christopher Robin Milne, son of the author A. A. Milne, who wrote the stories of Winnie-the-Pooh. The cub from White River gave her name to the "Winnie-the-Pooh character, and A. A. Milne, along with illustrator E. H. Shepard, gave Winnie-the-Pooh to the world.

If you're ever in White River, you MUST stop and have your picture made with Winnie. White River proudly proclaims its status as the birthplace of Winnie-the-Pooh by celebrating Winnie's Hometown Festival, which is held the third weekend in August every year.