City needs a real sign of the times
Oct. 2, 2008
Considering our province is often referred to as Friendly Manitoba, it’s no wonder that the idea of a new slogan for signs welcoming motorists to Winnipeg has generated so much debate.
Earlier this month, Mayor Sam Katz told the Winnipeg Free Press he is open to the idea of updating the slogan “One Great City” that adorns 10 highway signs near Winnipeg’s city limits.
The One Great City signs have been up since 1990 and have outlived their “esthetic lifespan,” according to city administrators. Many people, including Katz himself, feel the slogan, which was originally coined during former Mayor Bill Norrie’s final term in office, has likewise outlived its lifespan.
One would think Katz had vowed to raise property taxes or reduce the number of cops on city streets based on the volume of rhetoric that the sign debate has generated. The Free Press received more than 500 e-mails, phone calls and handwritten letters regarding the signs. Everyone from the lead singer of one of the city’s most celebrated rock bands to an international branding firm have chimed in with suggestions on what the new slogan should be.
So far, the frontrunner to replace One Great City appears to be “The Centre of it All,” suggested by Weakerthans frontman John K. Samson. Other suggestions include Katz’s own “City of Opportunity,” which has been almost universally panned, “Winnipeg — a many-faceted gem,” “Winnipeg —Abounding in Opportunity,” and “Randy Bachman doesn’t live here anymore.”
OK, so maybe that last one is a bit of a dud, but you have to give Winnipeggers credit for trying. And isn’t it a welcome change to see denizens of this city working together to build it up, rather than knock it down?
The words that will grace the new highway signs will ultimately be decided by Destination Winnipeg, the city’s arm’s-length marketing agency. While replacing the signs will cost a paltry $50,000 or less, the cost to the city could be far greater if the wrong slogan is selected.
Consider the new slogan the Province of Manitoba adopted not too long ago. Even folks who call the province home were left scratching their heads trying to figure it out what it means and how it applies to Manitobans. Imagine what people outside the province must think of it.
The good news is that unlike the football stadium debate, this one will have a much shorter shelf life. The city plans to replace the aging highway signs by the end of this summer.
Whatever slogan is chosen, let’s hope it is truly a sign of the times.
