I Hate Winnipeg
When John K. Samson, lead singer of the Weakerthans, croons “I hate Winnipeg” in his song “One Great City!”, he’s merely excavating the civic self-loathing that seems buried beneath the skin of every lifelong Winnipegger. Beset by a sluggish economy, high crime, mortally cold winters and muggy, mosquito-ridden summers, not to mention complete and utter isolation, residents of Manitoba’s capital can be forgiven from the occasional bout of cheerlessness. But you know, all of the things that make Winnipeg a nominally bad place also make it exceptionally interesting: here is a city with great architecture and kitschy bungalows, a sumptuous history of immigration, organized crime, would-be Bolshevik revolutions and all of the strange stuff you would expect from a city more than 1,300 kilometres from anywhere of real signifiance.
That’s where l’Atelier national du Manitoba comes in. Over the past couple of years, this two-man crew has been drawing from Winnipeg’s cultural history for its art, including experimental films and street art. “[ANM] founders Walter Forsberg and Matthew Rankin have made it their duty to dig up and preserve the most ignored, maligned and downright despised aspects of their province’s cultural history,” declared THIS Magazine in a profile of the duo. “Basically, all of the cultural production of Winnipeg is despised by the citizens who live here, vengefully disposed of and rejected by its own people,” explained Rankin. “Which is kind of beautiful, in fact.” The ANM’s films deal with such things as the birth and death of the Winnipeg Jets; its poster art includes posters bearing the likeness of Guess Who vocalist and Winnipeg folk hero Burton Cummings.
“Murder Capital”: Former Winnipeg mayor Bill Norrie. Winnipeg has one of Canada’s highest violent crime rates
“Stand Tall”: Guess Who vocalist and Winnipeg folk hero Burton Cummings
“Discount Everything”: Furniture magnate Nick Hill. Photo by Rob Galston
The Atelier’s headquarters in Chinatown, with three Winnipeg symbols: a Clifford’s sign, the Nutty Club man and Winnie the Pooh. Photo by Rob Galston
Montreal Apartments