One day in August, 1914, Captain Harry Colbourne stepped off the train at his destination of White River, Ontario, Canada. Although he was a Captain in the army he was studying to become a veterinarian. He loved animals.

Sitting on the bench in the train station was a trapper with a little black bear cub. Captain Colbourn was drawn to the little bear cub and spoke to the trapper. It appeared that the bear cubs mother had been killed by some hunters and now the little bear was an orphan. The trapper could not keep the bear cub and after a little persuation he managed to sell the bear cub to Captain Colbourne for $20.00.

The Captain took the bear cub back to his barracks and made a bed for her underneath his bed. He thought about a good name for his new little friend and after a while decided to call the little black bear cub Winnipeg Bear after his home town of Winnipeg, Manitoba. He nicknamed her Winnie. He played with her and taught her tricks. The soldiers in his barrack liked Winnie so much that she became the platoon mascot.

The troops received orders to move to England. Captain Colbourn decided to take Winnie with him. They arrived at Val Cartier and then moved onto Gaspe across the water on the S.S. Manitou. Their travels led them to Davenport, England. Soon they had to move onto Salisbury Plain. The regiment, the Captain and Winnie stayed here and trained. The the orders came that the Fort Garry Horse and Infantry were called to fight at the front lines. What about Winnie? He couldn't take her with him. He approched the zookeeper at the London Zoo. He saw how gentle, friendly and smart this little black bear cub was and agreed to take care of her. Winnie earned her keep at the zoo by giving children rides on her back. Everyone loved her.

One day a man named A.A. Milne, an author, and his son were visiting the zoo. His son took an automatic liking to the bear named Winnipeg (Winnie) Bear. To amuse his young son, he decided to write a few stories about the black bear and came up with the name "Winnie the Pooh".

Captain Harry Colbourne returned to England to persue his studies in veternary medicine and became a Veterinarian.

Winnipeg Bear lived at the London Zoo until she died at the age of 27 years. The London Zoo placed a plaque and erected a bronze statue at the entrance to the zoo in memory of dear Winnipeg Bear.

A statue in memory of Captain Harry Colbourne was erected near the Kinsmans Club in Winnepeg, Manitoba, Canada. A wood carving of the Doctor Harry Colbourn and Winnipeg Bear has also been erected at the gateway in white river, Ontario, Canada. A festival is held every August in honour of the famous Winnipeg Bear.