Winnie's Hometown Festival

"You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes."

- Winnie the Pooh

The NSFC has decided to take some wise advice from everyone's favourite bear, and leave our corner of the forest to visit yours.

From August 20th-August 21st, visit NSFC staff at Winnie's Hometown Festival in White River, Where it all Began.

White River and Winnie the Pooh

Just over 80 years ago, a bear cub was orphaned when her mother was shot by a hunter. A trapper found her and brought her into White River, later selling her to a WW1 Lieutenant who was on a stopover while travelling to Quebec on the Canadian Pacific Railway. When Lieutenant Harry Colebourn purchased the bear cub for $20, and named her "Winnie" after his hometown of Winnipeg, he had no idea that his new pet would later become the most famous bear in the entire world. In 1914, Colebourn was re-stationed in France and was unable to bring Winnie along, so he donated her to the London Zoo. At the Zoo, Winnie captured the hearts of many with her charismatic personality and ability to interest with humans. Two of her biggest admirers were author A.A. Milne and his son Christopher Robin. Christopher Robin nicknamed the bear "Winnie the Pooh", and soon after Milne began writing stories about the lovable bear, using his son's stuffed toys as inspiration for the characters of Winnie's friends. Milne published his first Winnie the Pooh story in 1926...and the rest is history!

The 22nd Annual Winnie's Hometown Festival

The NSFC will have a booth at the festival's annual Trade Show from Friday August 21st until Saturday August 22nd. As always, we will have great giveaways, amazing draw prizes, and important information to distribute.

The weekend-long festival will be extra special this year, as White River celebrates it's 125th Anniversary. Scheduled activities include live entertainment during the trade show, Karaoke Idol competition, inflatable bouncers, fireworks display, block party, and parades.

For more details on the festival, visit the following link:

http://www.wrlibrary.piczo.com/festival?cr=2