Harry Colebourn the man who inspired story books we all loved called Winnie-the-Pooh

On a crisp Valentine’s Day walk through Brookside Cemetery in Winnipeg, Manitoba—with my miniature Winnie-the-Pooh bear in hand—I came upon the grave of a man whose quiet act of kindness inspired one of the world’s most beloved children’s stories: Major Harry Colebourn.

Born in England, Harry later made Winnipeg his home. He trained as a veterinarian in Ontario, but soon after graduating, he was called to serve Canada during World War I.

In 1914, while en route from Winnipeg to Quebec to join his regiment, Harry’s train made a brief stop in White River, Ontario. There, he encountered a hunter with a tiny, orphaned black bear cub—her mother had been killed. Moved by the situation, and with the approval of his commanding officer, Harry purchased the cub for twenty dollars.

He named her Winnie, after his adopted hometown of Winnipeg. She quickly became the mascot of the regiment, beloved by the soldiers and eventually traveled with them all the way to England.

When Harry was later deployed to the front lines in France, he made the difficult decision to leave Winnie in the care of the London Zoo—a decision that would change literary history.

At the zoo, Winnie captured the heart of a young boy named Christopher Robin Milne, who so adored the gentle bear that he renamed his own stuffed toy after her. Inspired by their bond, Christopher’s father, A.A. Milne, began writing a series of children’s books that would become known around the world as the Winnie-the-Pooh stories.

Christopher Robin Milne with Winnie, London Zoo. 

After the war, Winnie would remain at the London Zoo and died there in1934. Winnie was just over 20 years old. Dr. Harry Colebourn returned  to Winnipeg and started a veterinary practice until 1926. He died September 24, 1947. He was 60.

Major Harry Colebourn (1887-1947)-Winnie (1914-1934)