Yes.

The "bear of very little brain" was named after a real life cub that was called Winnipeg or Winnie for short.

A Captain Harry Colebourn bought the bear cub in 1914 in White River, Ontario and took it overseas with him to England. He named it Winnipeg after his hometown in Manitoba.

When Colebourn had to leave for the battlefields of France, he put the bear in the London Zoo where it became a big attraction. On returning from the war, Colebourn decided to leave the bear at the zoo. Two of the visitors to the zoo were A.A. Milne and his son Christopher who became big fans of the bear, and Milne later used the bear's name in his famous books.

In 1989, people from White River sought permission from Walt Disney Productions for the right to erect a statue of the bear. Disney, which owns the rights to any reproductions of Winnie the Pooh, granted permission to the town in September of that year.

Winnie the Pooh is © Walt Disney Productions. All rights reserved.