Few Canadian black bears have achieved the literary renown of "Winnipeg," Captain Harry Colebourn's pet black bear. Lasting fame came to Winnipeg after a boy - Christopher Robin - and his father - A.A. Milne - saw Winnipeg at the London Zoo.

Captivated by Winnipeg, who gave zoo patrons piggyback rides around the zoo and ate treats from their hands, Christopher Robin urged his father to take her home. Instead, Milne transformed Winnipeg into the hero of a classic childhood story, "Winnie-the-Pooh." This unusual name is a combination of the nickname London zoo patrons gave Winnipeg, and the name of Christopher Robin's pet swan, Pooh. The Pooh stories describe the explorations of a loveable bear and his friends - Piglet, Tigger and Eeyore - in the innocent world of childhood, demonstrating the value of friendship and pots of honey.

Winnipeg emigrated to Britain along with her owner, Captain Harry Colebourn, an army veterinary surgeon in the Canadian military. In 1915, as World War I raged, Captain Colebourn was sent to the front in France. Unable to take Winnipeg along, he donated her to the London Zoo, where she quickly became a star attraction.

Colebourn purchased Winnipeg in White River, Ontario from a trapper who had killed the cub's mother. She was named after Colebourn's hometown. In 1989, White River erected a statue commemorating Winnie-the-Pooh's namesake.

A.A. Milne (1882-1956) was a journalist and contributor to Punch magazine. His books Winnie-the-Pooh (1926) and The House at Pooh Corner (1928) are two of several children's books. Milne also wrote plays and novels, the best known of which is his play Mr. Pim Passes By. The original illustrations to Milne's books were created by Ernest Shepard, who also illustrated an early edition of Kenneth Grahame's Wind in the Willows.

Historica Minute Cast

Cdn. Soldier		Claude Souktre
Zoo Official		Desmond Ellis
Zoo Attendant		Mark Richardson
Christopher Robin		Tristan Hollett
A. A. Milne		Julian Richings
Sheppard		Robert Latimer
Captain Colbourne		Robert Weiss
Canadian Soldier		John Nightingale
Canadian Soldier		Dale Spearing
Nurse		Carolyn Peters
Nurse		Susan Bryson
Vendor		Frank Scott
Flower Lady		Jeanette Herstead
Bobbie		Tim Blake
Driver		Rob Wilson
Grandmother		Barbara Shawe
Woman		Nicki Lewis
Woman		Katrin Baetz
Gentleman		Larry Fedoruk
Gentleman		Rick Coulter
shoe shine		Robbie Atalick
baby bear		Gerry Therrien
Additional Cast		Samantha Southwell