White River (Ontario)

White River, population 607, was established as a railway village on the Canadian Pacific mainline in 1885. Its primary industry is forestry; the township's population has been in steep decline since Domtar closed its mill in 2007. While the village is a good jumping-off point for fishing and canoeing on the White River, and its location on the main east-west route cross country makes it difficult to miss, it's tiny enough that it might not even be on the map were it not for the notability of its most famous resident: an orphan black bear cub who left with a group of soldiers in 1914.
The soldiers? Fort Garry Horse regiment from Winnipeg, Manitoba – a cavalry unit and their horses off to fight the Great War in Europe. Their unofficial mascot? Winnie the bear, who literary travel will immediately recognise as a character in a few A. A. Milne books.
"Oh, bother!" said Pooh, and the rest is history.

Talk

While the village has an anglophone majority, one in six speak French as a first language.

Climate

White River is northern by Ontario standards and temperatures as cold as -40° are not unheard of in winter.

By train

which runs from Sudbury three times weekly with a long list of stops at isolated, otherwise-inaccessible points; the end-to-end trip is eight to ten hours.

By bus

• Ontario NorthlandDaily bus service along the Trans-Canada Highway from Sault Ste. Marie, 4hr 10min, $67.

• Kasper BusDaily bus service from Thunder Bay, $110.

By car

White River is on the Trans-Canada Highway, 325 km north of Sault Ste Marie, and 385 km east of Thunder Bay.

There is no local taxi service in the village.

• Winnie-the-Pooh statue

  address: White River Visitor Park
  A colourful 25-foot statue of Winnie in a tree is visible from the south side of the Trans-Canada Highway.

• White River Heritage Museum

  phone: +1 807 822-2657
  address: 200 Elgin St
  Local history, including the Canadian Pacific railway and a very famous local bear. Souvenir shop.

• Swimming, boating, fishing and hunting in summer
• Snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in winter
• A playground and picnic area is available at the White River Tourist Information Centre (555 Elgin, phone +1 807 822-2794 or +1-888-517-1673, washrooms, snowmobiling and trail information, washrooms and RV dump station).

• Northern Visions Art Studio

  phone: +1 807 822-2657
  address: 200 Elgin St

• White River Air

  phone: +1 807 822-2222
  Remote fishing outpost with lodging (2 bed, 1 bath) on White River, accessible only by air.

Events

• Winnie's Hometown FestivalParade, trade show, dance, arts and crafts show, fireworks display, games, competitions and entertainment.

There is a grocer, a Home Hardware and a Husky fuel station in the village. Winnie the Pooh memorabilia is available at the travel info centre and the heritage museum.

• Catz

  phone: +1 807 822-2121
  address: Highway 17
  Family-style restaurant.

• River City Cafe

  phone: +1 807 822-2130
  address: 200 Elgin Street
  Breakfasts, pizza, subs, desserts.

• White River Motel

  phone: +1 807 822-2333
  address: 210 Highway 17
  Rooms and housekeeping cabins.

• Naturenut Resort and Cafe

  phone: +1 807 822-1095
  address: 1 Dunc Lake Hwy 17 E
  Cabins with full working kitchens. Lake access with boat dock. Fishing, nature trails hunting, hiking, snowmobiling and 4X4ing. Open year-round.

Local telephone calls are seven digits. The local postal code is P0M 3G0 for the entire village; all mail is addressed to PO boxes as there is no local household delivery.

• White River Public Library

  phone: +1 807 822-1113
  address: 123 Superior St
  Public access computers and wi-fi, copy/print/fax, book and media lending. Open four or five days a week, depending on season.