'Go Habs Go' has got to go: STM to support sports teams en français only

Montreal's transit agency will be removing the word "Go" from its electronic displays when supporting local sports teams to comply with a directive from Quebec's French-language watchdog. The move is raising eyebrows of even the most ardent defenders of the French language at the National Assembly. 

As such, the popular phrase "Go! Canadiens Go!" will be substituted with its French equivalent "Allez! Canadiens! Allez!"

In a statement, the Société de transport de Montréal (STM)says the decision follows a previous order from the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF). It's related to a complaint it received over the use of "Go! CF MTL Go!" in support of the local men's soccer team on bus displays.

Though the word "Go" is a common sports expression, it's an Anglicism.

The STM says it received the directive from the OQLF to modify its cheerful wording in the spring of 2024. It was only able to proceed at the end of that summer during its routine update of the destination signs across its fleet of 2,000 buses.

"Because the messages have to be changed manually in each vehicle, the process took several months," said an STM spokesperson in a statement.

In a statement, the OQLF said that it never imposes one type of correction rather than another.

"[It informed the STM] that in accordance with the Charter of the French language, the Administration's organizations must use the French language in an exemplary manner, which implies not using English terms in their signage," reads the statement.

Walking past reporters on his way into the National Assembly, Quebec French Language Minister Jean-François Roberge muttered one sentence before disappearing behind a door: "I'll let the OQLF do its job." 

Ruba Ghazal, the Québec