#7 White River, ON: Better in Blue

Winnipeg's most famous ambassador was born near White River but orphaned early in life.  When a certain Harry Colebourn, from Winnipeg and on his way to Europe to fight in World War I, stopped at the White River train station, he fell in love with the little black bear cub.  Harry made an impulse buy and handed the hunter a 20 dollar bill.  He named his new mascot Winnie after his hometown.

Now, a bear cub isn't really that useful on the front lines, so before heading over the channel to fight, Harry donated Winnie to the London Zoo.  And that's where a young English boy named Christopher Robin fell in love with him.  Winnie the Pooh became the lead character in a series of books by Christopher's father, A.A. Milne, and then hit the big screen with Disney.


When we arrived in White River a few days ago, and met Winnie face to face, I realized he hadn't forgotten the city that gave him his name. It was a pleasant surprise to see he was a Bombers fan.  And between you and me, he looks a lot better in blue than in red.



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