Since moving to Winnipeg, I feel like I can begin authentically enjoying the discography of The Weakerthans, a cornerstone band in the Canadian indie scene with roots in this city. There’s something romantic about listening to a song tailored for a place while you’re in it, because yes, I am in fact driving the same route every day, just like the song! Based on my first months living full-fledged in this city, The Weakerthans got it right.
But there’s something in the back of my mind when The Weakerthans’ “One Great City!” hits its refrain — “I hate Winnipeg.” It’s a harsh thing to say, to hate something. For me, while I relate deeply to the issues brought up in the song, there’s a tinge of irony for me to sing along. I chose to live here — I actually kind of like Winnipeg. What a controversial idea!
As a newcomer to the city, maybe I’ve got it all wrong. Let’s assess what I do know about Winnipeg. The song mentions the dreary weather (“A darker grey is breaking through a lighter one”) that sits over the city — that I can’t argue with. “One Great City!” continues to reference the underground pedestrian crossing at Portage and Main — “A thousand sharpened elbows in the underground / That hollow hurried sound / Of feet on polished floor”. Finally, something I can contest! Earlier this fall, the city opened up aboveground pedestrian traffic on this infamous corner.
The same goes for the slight against the Jets later in the song — I’m no superfan, but I know they’ve regularly made the NHL playoffs (ignoring how they go in the second round). Debate over, Winnipeg’s great now. The Weakerthans can suck it.
However, there’s a distinction between hating Winnipeg for its cosmetic shortcomings and a genuine discontent of the people who live here. Statistics Canada collected data on quality-of-life indicators throughout Canada via their census, with factors being “life satisfaction,” “sense of meaning and purpose,” “future outlook,” “loneliness,” “having someone to rely on” and “a sense of belonging to local community.” Winnipeggers sit in the middle for most of these factors as 48 per cent of respondents “rarely or never feel lonely,” 46 per cent have a “high life satisfaction,” and 54 per cent have a “strong sense of meaning and purpose.” While it’s still a middling statistic, 59 per cent of respondents “always or often have a hopeful outlook” — maybe I am counted in this pile, hopeful about the good things this city has to offer. At least Winnipeg isn’t a complete dead end!
One Great City! ends on the stark visual of a city that does not care for its residents. “Our golden business boy / Will watch the North End die / And sing ‘I love this town’ / Then let his arcing wrecking ball proclaim / I hate Winnipeg.” Our “golden business boy” atop the Legislature faces directly into the heart of the city and speaks to a level of disconnect. “I love this town,” but “this town” isn’t Winnipeg.
With this in mind, I choose to understand this song not from the perspective of an inconvenienced citizen, but instead from the understanding that the government itself seems to hate the idea of Winnipeg. This isn’t an unfounded conclusion to arrive at, either. The city of Winnipeg’s own resident satisfaction survey has seen a steady decline in respondents’ satisfaction with overall city services — from 87 per cent satisfaction in 2021 to 72 per cent in 2025. The reasoning behind this decline could be a myriad of issues found within city governance, but what takes the cake is the surveyed statement, “I believe the City of Winnipeg acts in the best interest of citizens,” a data point that needed the added subtext, “There are no demographic subgroups more likely to strongly or somewhat agree with these perceptions,” noting that of the respondents, only 29 per cent hailed from Winnipeg’s inner city. From the mouths of the remaining 71 per cent, along with the inner city’s minor contribution, 63 per cent of respondents felt that the city is acting in the best interest of Winnipeggers.
There’s one more number from Statistics Canada I failed to mention. 72 per cent of the Winnipeggers surveyed shared that they “often or always have someone to count on.” In my research for this, I was stopped in my tracks. It’s a lovely thing to survey for, or to monitor if there is a sense of community beyond the one understood by the larger cultures.
There’s the fact that the structural components of this city seem to constantly let its citizens down — “One Great City!” bemoans the traffic, the government, the weather, but never seems to complain too much about the people. In fact, there’s a sense of unity in saying, “I hate Winnipeg.” While it’s a heavy sentiment, it’s at least a sentiment shared. The Weakerthans did indeed “get it right” about Winnipeg — we’re all hating it together.
