Winnie the Pooh Memorial

If you’re a Canadian of a certain age, you know the story of Winnie the Pooh - it was one of many subjects covered in the Heritage Minutes series. (Heritage Minute: “Winnie”)

As a Winnipegger, I thought it was neat that the character - written by an Englishman that had likely never even heard of our city at the time - was named for “us”.

Truthfully, I hadn’t paid much attention beyond the basics... and I certainly didn’t remember anything about an Ontario town.

SO, it was a bit jarring to see a sign laying claim to it, en route to a 2024 stay at White Lake Provincial Park.

I actually had to double check that Heritage Minute, wondering if I’d missed something!

Anyway, the indignation subsided relatively quickly (aside from a bit of hometown pride, I’m not emotionally invested in Winnie the Pooh”), and MOSTLY forgotten about.

... until we looked at a Lake Superior Circle Tour sign that listed the Winnie The Pooh memorial as one of the featured stops.

As with Schreiber Beach and the Terrace Bay Lighthouse, we decided that we would need to visit it, just for the sake of completion.

Plus, we’re trying to get better about taking more stretch breaks on long road trips. This seemed like a good opportunity to get out of the RV and wander around for a bit.

This is one of those cases where I wish there was better info out there about the parking situation, as it relates to RVs. Not only we were NOT sure what the deal was, going in... the signage was bad.

I’m getting into spoilers, though - let’s look at everything you’ll need to know, neatly laid out in our regular format!

The Basics:

Location Name: Winnie the Pooh Memorial
Address: Highway 17, White River (Click for Google Maps Location
Website: N/A
Price Free!
Reservations: Not applicable.
Season: Year-round?

Logistics

Winnie the Pooh Park is located right on the Trans Canada Highway in White River, Ontario. Here’s some information to help you plan your visit:

Registration and Check In

This is a very basic roadside attraction. There are no reservations required - or available. It’s not staffed, you just show up, find a parking spot, and enjoy the area.

Parking

The parking situation is a bit weird, and could definitely stand to get some signage put up. There’s a sign off the highway that clearly shows the entrance, but from that point it gets a bit ambiguous - not a great thing when you’re driving an RV or are towing a trailer!

Having never been to the park before, we pulled onto the “entrance” road, and the only parking we could see was a half loop off to the right, and the fact that people had been parking on the lawn on the left side of that road.

The road did continue forward, but we didn’t want to take our chances on getting stuck - and not being able to turn around - so we parked in that half loop.

We’re not sure they want you to do that, but hey - we were just quickly gathering information that’ll likely prevent other people from doing the same, right?

As we got out of the RV, we noticed that there was a LARGE parking lot just on the other side of the park. Had we skipped the road marked “entrance”, it would have been the next right.

We weren’t sure we’d have a way to get over there if we continued forward, so we stayed put.

Anyway, that parking lot can be accessed directly from the highway, and has a short set of steps and path up to the Winnie the Pooh Statue. It also has access to the little trail with a bridge, that runs alongside the playground.

What looks to be the official parking - on the road marked entrance - is a bit further up than we stopped, and out of view. Basically, you drive the length of the short park, and the road splits.

The road to the left takes you to a small parking lot for cars, next to the Visitor Centre. The road to the right takes you to a larger parking lot that seems intended for trailers - and there were quite a few RVs in there during our visit.

The two lots are connected at the “top” of the loop, which also has an exit out onto a cross street. Turning left onto that cross street will take you back to the highway.

As a forewarning - we visited on a random weekday in September, and that RV lot was *chaos* towards the end of our visit - I’m glad we got our photos early on!

No parking spaces are marked, and the split to the two parking lots doesn’t have any directional signage. People were entering from both directions, just parking wherever... and the whole thing was complicated by the fact that there was a dump station in there.

At one point, a trailer was completely blocking the exit to that side road, because a line had formed to use the trailer dump platform.

Really not a great layout, so be prepared to be creative, frustrated, and/or patient in the event of a wait!

Washrooms

There were no outhouses on site, so the only washrooms were in the Visitor Centre... which was not open.

There WAS a gas station right next to the park, though... so that’s probably your best bet, in the event that the Visitor Center is closed during your visit.

There’s also an A&W located next to the gas station.

Maps and Signage

There are no park maps, and the “entrance” sign was the only directional signage we noticed at Winnie the Pooh Memorial Park.

It’s a pretty straightforward park - especially once you know what is there - so you don’t really need one.

That said - as previously mentioned - the parking situation could DEFINITELY use some signage. It would have been helpful to know that there was RV parking back there.

Also, I feel like marking the split as one-way would have definitely lessened the chaos factor in the parking lot. I can’t imagine what it must be like on summer weekends!

Accessibility

Winnie the Pooh Memorial isn’t a super accessible attraction.

The quickest and most accessible way to visit the statue is to park in that half loop or on the side of the road as you get on the “entrance” road... but we’re not sure they want you to.

If you DO, there’s a gently sloping paved path up to the statue.

The large parking lot between the park and the gas station involves a few steps up to a path to the statue / park in general, so I would avoid it if you’re a wheelchair user or otherwise can’t handle steps.

If you park at the visitor centre, you can access the path to the statue and it’s more or less wheelchair friendly. There’s a little walking bridge, but no serious obstructions beyond that.

There are no designated accessible parking spots anywhere that we saw - certainly nowhere near the statue itself. There were also no disability accommodations in place at the playground, gazebo, etc.

Those who are mobility impaired but NOT a wheelchair user shouldn’t have too much difficulty getting around Winnie the Pooh Park, though.

Pets

As with most public parks, dogs are welcome at Winnie the Pooh Park, but need to be leashed at all times and picked up after.

There’s actually a specific little “potty area”, to help with that - it’s located near where the entrance road hooks left - to the right, at that point. (Across from the playground, on the same side of the road as the half loop parking spot.)

Park Store

We think there may be a tourist shop in the Visitor Centre - there was some signage at the highway indicating a gift shop in that general direction, anyway.

Aside from that, there’s an Esso gas station and A & W next to the park, and a bar and grill - and what looks to be weed trailer - across the street from the park.

Visitor Centre

There’s a Visitor Center kind of adjacent to the park, near the little picnic gazebo and main parking lots. It looks to be more of a general tourism information building, than something very specific to the park.

It was closed at the time of our visit, despite it being early afternoon on a Sunday.

Unfortunately, there was no information about hours or season posted... so we don’t have a lot to tell you at this time. We’ll update next time we’re through the area!

Day Use Area

There aren’t a lot of picnic tables in the park. I think I saw maybe 3 or 4 picnic tables in the immediate area (playground / statue section), then a few more, closer to the tourism centre.

There's also a small gazebo at that end of the field area - near the main parking lots.

Anyway, beyond picnic spaces, there’s also an extensive playground - it looked to be in really good shape, well maintained, with lots of fun equipment.

Connectivity

We’re on Rogers Wireless, and had really decent cell reception throughout the park.

Miscellaneous

Some extra information, specific to Winnie the Pooh Park:

Winnie's Hometown Festival

The park plays host to a little festival - Nicknamed “Poohfest” - on the 3rd weekend in August.

The event goes from Friday to Sunday, and involves community meals, dances, historical re-enactments, live entertainment, parades, and a tradeshow... all in celebration of Winnie the Pooh.

You can check out the town’s Winnie's Hometown Festival Facebook Group for more info.

The Dump Station

There’s a trailer dump platform in the RV parking lot, near the Visitor Centre. It’s just a single dump platform, with a sign that says “RV station - enquire at the Visitor Centre”.

The Visitor Centre was closed at the time of our stay, but people were still using the dump platform, so I guess it’s just open use?

Anyway, in order to access it on your driver’s side, you’re going to want to go left at the split - when coming from the “Entrance” sign direction.

Alternatively, you can approach via that side street - Elgin Street. If you turn onto Elgin Street from the highway, it’ll be the first right as you pass the Visitor Centre.

When you enter the parking area, turn left and keep all the way left - it’s very shortly after you get into that parking lot.

We didn’t make use of it - we had no idea it was even there, until we walked up to it - but it definitely seemed to be a popular feature!

Entertainment and Activity

Here’s where we cover some of the other activities available at any given park. In this case... it’s not a lot. Still, here’s what we can tell you:

Hiking

We didn’t see any mention of any hiking trails nearby.

There was a short path that went from the Winnie the Pooh Statue, along the playground, over a little foot bridge, and to the parking lot... but that’s about it.

That said, if you’re on a road trip and need to stretch your legs a bit, a walk up that path, around the parking lot loop, and back ... is a better walk than a lot of rest stops, to be honest!

Birding, Wildlife, and Nature

The park is right on the side of the Trans Canada Highway, so it’s busy AND fairly loud - not idea for birding. It’s also right in the middle of a town, so I don’t know that I’d expect much in the way of wildlife during your visit, either.

That said, we saw some American Crows and Ring-Billed Gulls, and a Sandhill Crane came up on our Merlin app at one point, but we didn’t actually see it.

Educational & Cultural Opportunities

There are a few educational signs at Winnie the Pooh Park, right near the Winnie the Pooh statue itself.

One talks about Black Bears in Ontario, and a bit about eating habits and intelligence.

Another tells the story of Lt Harry Colebourn, and how "Winnie the Pooh" came to be.

Harry was a war vet - literally. He was a veterinarian, tasked with taking take of the army horses during WWI. During his trip across Canada - en route to England - he came across a trapper in White River who was selling a black bear cub.

OBVIOUSLY he bought her, because who wouldn't?

He named her "Winnie", after Winnipeg - his hometown. She basically became the mascot of his regiment, before he found out he was getting shipped to France.

Harry gave Winnie to the London Zoo, where she became a star attraction.

That's where A.A. Milne saw her, and his son Christopher Robin Milne visited her frequently. Christopher started calling her "Winnie the Pooh", and A.A Milne ended up writing the Winnie the Pooh books, as a result.

Anyway, the final sign is more of a plaque than an educational sign - it mentions a bit about the history, but is more a dedication of the actual Winnie the Pooh statue.

Niantic Games

There are a couple of Niantic game stops (Pokestops, Pokemon Gyms, Ingress Portals, etc) right in the main park area, then another one over by the where the rail car is (Behind the parking lot), and another by the visitor center.

There are also a few more up that strip of the highway in general.

Final Thoughts

You know, I’ve always thought that it’s wild how many of our roadside attractions and historical markers have SOMETHING to do with either WWI, WWII, or both.... and it occurs to me that Winnie the Pooh Park is among that category!

Anyway, this is a cute little park. It seems like it would be a great stop for those with kids, especially... but we enjoyed it, as well.

Everything seems really well thought out and maintained (aside from the parking situation / lack of signage to that effect!), and it’s just a really nice little rest stop for those making their way to or from Northern Ontario.

Definitely be sure to stop by, stretch your legs, and see the statue, when you’re in the area!

More Northern Ontario Provincial Parks & Places to See

Want to read some more about the parks we've camped and at places we've seen in Northern Ontario? Here are some more posts!

Northern Ontario Campground Reviews:

Aaron Provincial Park
Agawa Bay Campground, Lake Superior Provincial Park
Blue Lake Provincial Park
Caliper Lake Provincial Park
Esker Lakes Provincial Park
Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park
Kettle Lakes Provincial Park
Lake Superior Provincial Park
MacLeod Provincial Park
Neys Provincial Park
Ojibway Provincial Park
Pakwash Provincial Park
Pancake Bay Provincial Park
Pukaskwa National Park
Quetico Provincial Park
Rabbit Blanket Lake, Lake Superior Provincial Park
Rainbow Falls Provincial Park
Rene Brunelle Provincial Park
Rushing River Provincial Park
Sandbar Lake Provincial Park
Sioux Narrows Provincial Park
Sleeping Giant Provincial Park
White Lake Provincial Park

Northern Ontario Places to See:

Aguasabon Falls & Gorge
Amethyst Mine Panorama
Batchawana Bay
Bridgeview Lookout Tower
Chippewa Falls
Kakabeka Falls
Little Falls Scenic Lookout, Atikokan
Mink Creek Falls
Old Woman Bay
Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park
Potholes Provincial Park
Roy Wilson Suspension Bridge
Sand River Falls
Scenic High Falls
Schreiber Beach
Temagami Fire Tower
Terrace Bay Beach
Terrace Bay Lighthouse
Terry Fox National Historic Monument

Want to explore beyond Northern Ontario? Check out our full list of Campground Reviews, Ontario Waterfalls, and other Places to See.

We also have a ton of Camping Recipes to cook up, while on your adventures!