No ‘Go Habs! Go’ on Montreal city buses to start NHL season

An "Allez! Canadiens Allez!" sign on a Montreal bus. (Kelly Greig/CTV News)

Those Habs fans getting excited about the upcoming NHL season will have to wait to see a similar joy on Montreal’s public transit buses.

The Montreal public transit authority (STM) said that though the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) has “legitimized” the word “go” as “a word of encouragement in its comprehensive terminology dictionary,” STM buses will not display the “Go Habs! Go!” slogan when the season starts.

“No changes can be made to buses in the short term, as we insist on using the usual update processes (line indicator updates) that take place in the winter so as not to invest additional resources or funds in this situation, given our current financial context,” the STM said.

The OQLF took a hard line with the STM over the past NHL season to scrub the word “go” from the electronic signs on the city’s buses.

In an April statement, OQLF president Dominique Malack said that the slogan “Go Habs Go” is anchored in Quebec’s history but added that the word “go” is an anglicism, and that public bodies have an obligation to use “exemplary” French, which includes using only French words in their signage.

After backlash, eye rolls, memes and political debate in the National Assembly that led to French-language Minister Jean-François Roberge intervening, the OQLF reversed course and said the slogan was fine.

Roberge argued that “Go Habs! Go!” is part of Quebec culture.

Habs fans who attended the Canadiens’ playoff game against the Washington Capitals on April 25 found free “Go Habs Go” rally towels on their seats.