Did you know Winnie the Pooh has roots right here in Manitoba?
Morning from the Gateway — here's what's moving in The Pas. You know, sometimes the biggest stories aren't about what's happening today, but what happened a long time ago that still touches us. I was reading about the 100-year anniversary of Winnie the Pooh, and it just hit me again how wild it is that this global icon has such a direct connection to our province. It started with a soldier from Winnipeg, Harry Colebourn, who bought a bear cub for twenty dollars at a train station in White River, Ontario. He named her "Winnie" after his hometown. That bear eventually went to the London Zoo, where a little boy named Christopher Robin Milne fell in love with her, and the rest is history.
### The Pas Connection
Now, while Winnie herself didn't wander the banks of the Saskatchewan River, the spirit of that connection to the wild, and to the people who live alongside it, is something we understand deeply here in The Pas.
* **Our Own Bears:** Anyone living here, whether on Opaskwayak Cree Nation or in town, knows what it's like to share the land with bears. We see them, respect them, and understand they're part of the fabric of this place, just like Winnie was a part of Colebourn's journey. * **Northern Gateway:** It reminds me of how The Pas has always been a gateway. For centuries, people have passed through here, moving north, connecting with the land and its creatures. That story of a soldier and a bear cub, on a journey, resonates with the history of the Kelsey Trail and all the folks who've traveled through our neck of the woods. * **Simple Joys:** It's a tale about finding connection and comfort in unexpected places, a reminder that even in the toughest times, like war, there are moments of simple, enduring beauty. It's a sentiment I think many of us up here, living through long winters and remote conditions, can appreciate.
It's a cool piece of history, showing how even a global phenomenon like Pooh Bear has threads leading right back to the prairies and that essential connection to nature we value so much in Manitoba. It makes you think about all the quiet, powerful stories born right here in our backyard.
Phil Flett, MiTL Sports Desk, The Pas.
My relatives on Opaskwayak Cree Nation have stories that would make this one look tame – you should hear them talk about it on the morning show at mornings.live.