Winnie the Bear

So you all know Winnie the Pooh. He's the lovable Disney bear that is fascinated by honey, and his friends like Eeyore and Piglet.

If you're in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, you can dine with Pooh and friends at the Crystal Palace - and I suggest you do if you haven't; the food is great and...it is a buffet.

But why am I talking about Winnie the Pooh on the OFF-AIR blog? Simple: Winnie the Pooh has a very close connection to the city I live in.

WINNIpeg. Was our city named after the bear? No.

Was the bear named after our city? Sort of, yes.

But if you ever get the trivia question asked prior to watching EPCOT's Canada video, "What Canadian city has a connection with Winnie the Pooh?", be assured the answer is Winnipeg.

Winnipeg (or "Winnie") was the name given to a female black bear that lived at London Zoo from 1915 until her death in 1934.

She was bought as a small cub for $20 (probably from the hunter who had shot her mother) at a stop in White River, Ontario, by Lt Harry Colebourn of The Fort Garry Horse, a Canadian cavalry regiment, en route to the Western Front during the First World War. The bear was smuggled into Britain as an unofficial regimental mascot. Lt. Colebourn, the regiment’s veterinarian named her after his home city of Winnipeg in Manitoba. Before leaving for France, Colebourn left Winnie at London Zoo.

Winnipeg's eventual destination was to be the Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg, but at the end of the War, Colebourn decided to allow her to remain at the London Zoo, where she was much loved for her playfulness and gentleness. Among her fans was A. A. Milne's son Christopher Robin, who named his own teddy bear “Winnie” - thus giving Winnie-the-Pooh his name.

The story of Winnie the bear has been portrayed in the 2004 movie A Bear Named Winnie starring Michael Fassbender as Harry Colebourn. A statue of Winnie and Captain Colebourn stands in Assiniboine Park in Winnipeg.

So, a little bit of Disney magic originates, and sits, right here in Winnipeg, and I encourage any visitors to this city - even if you're passing through - to check out the Assiniboine Park Zoo to see the original Winnie the Pooh!

Partial credit goes to wikipedia.org.