White River (Ontario)

This article was created as part of 2016's April Fools destination, Pooh Bear's Hundred Acre Wood

White River is a tiny village on the Trans-Canada Highway in northern Ontario.

Understand

Winnie the bear

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 travellers 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.

Get in

There is no passenger service on the CP line to Thunder Bay

By train

• 1 White River station, Winnipeg St N. (updated Oct 2023)
  • VIA Rail Canada, toll-free: +1-888-842-7245. Operates many intercity trains across Canada, including a route from Sudbury three times weekly with a long list of stops at isolated, otherwise-inaccessible points. Travel time to White River from Sudbury is 8 hours, departing at 9AM. (updated Apr 2022)

By bus

• Ontario Northland. Operates routes in Northern Ontario. (updated Jul 2020) Operates a route between Thunder Bay and Sault Sainte Marie including stops in Red Rock, Nipigon, Schreiber, Terrace Bay, Marathon, White River, and Wawa. Travel time to White River from Thunder Bay is hours, from Nipigon is 4 hours, From Marathon is 1.5 hours, from Wawa is 5.75 hours, and from Sault Sainte Marie is 4.25 hours. Timed connections are available from Winnipeg with a transfer at Thunder Bay and from Sudbury with a transfer at Sault Sainte Marie.
• Kasper Bus, ☏ +1-807-699-7200, toll-free: +1-855-566-2378. Operates bus service in Northern Ontario and Manitoba. Operates bus service several days per week between Thunder Bay and White River including stops in Nipigon, Schreiber, Terrace Bay, and Marathon. Travel time to White River from Thunder Bay is 5.25 hours from Nipigon is 4 hours, and from Marathon is 1.25 hours. (updated May 2022)

By car

White River has Highway 17 (Trans-Canada Highway) passing through it. White River is 325 km north of Sault Ste Marie, and 385 km east of Thunder Bay.

Get around

There is no local taxi service in the village.

See

Winnie-the-Pooh statue

• Winnie-the-Pooh statue, 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. 
• 1 White River Heritage Museum, 200 Elgin St, ☏ +1 807 822-2657. Summer Tu-Sa 10AM-6PM, winter by appointment. Local history, including the Canadian Pacific railway and a very famous local bear. Souvenir shop. By donation. 

Do

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

Events

• Winnie's Hometown Festival. Third weekend in August. Parade, trade show, dance, arts and crafts show, fireworks display, games, competitions and entertainment. 

Buy

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.

Eat

• 1 WR Bar & Grill, 200 Highway 17, ☏ +1 807 822-1444. 4-10PM daily. Pub food. (updated Apr 2023)

Sleep

• 1 White River Motel, 210 Highway 17, ☏ +1 807 822-2333, toll-free: +1-800-822-5887, fax: +1 807 822-1455, whiterivermotel@shaw.ca. Rooms and housekeeping cabins. (updated Apr 2023)
• 2 Continental Motel, 217 Highway 17, ☏ +1 807-822-2500, toll-free: +1 800-822-3616, reservation@continentalmotel.ca. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. 54 rooms, free Wifi. (updated Apr 2023)
• Naturenut Resort and Cafe, 1 Dunc Lake Hwy 17 E, ☏ +1 807 822-1095. Cabins with full working kitchens. Lake access with boat dock. Fishing, nature trails hunting, hiking, snowmobiling and 4X4ing. Open year-round. (updated Dec 2018)

Connect

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.

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

Go next

Routes through White River

Thunder Bay ← Marathon ←	W  E	→ Wawa → Sault Ste Marie
Jct W E ← Hornepayne ←	N  S	→ END