Quebec government says ‘Go Habs Go!’ is part of province’s identity

A bus is seen with the expression "Allez! Canadiens Allez!" in Montreal on Thursday, April 24, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

The Quebec government has stepped in to defend the phrase “Go Habs Go!” as the provincial language watchdog takes heat for objecting to the English word “go.”

In a statement Friday, Quebec’s French-language minister said the slogan is part of “our DNA, our identity,” and has been used for decades to support the Montreal Canadiens NHL hockey team.

“It’s a unifying expression, rooted in our history, and part of our cultural and historical specificity,” Jean-François Roberge said on the X platform. “It’s a Québécisme and we’re proud of it!”

Roberge’s statement was meant to quell the uproar in Quebec over the Montreal transit agency’s decision to remove the expression “Go! Canadiens Go!” from electronic signs on city buses and replace it with “Allez! Canadiens Allez!” to show support for the hockey team’s NHL playoff run.

The change was made because Quebec’s French-language watchdog received a complaint last year about buses displaying the words “Go! CF Mtl Go!” — a reference to Montreal’s professional soccer club. In response, the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) decided to remove the word “go” from all of its messaging.

The decision made headlines on Thursday after it was first reported by the Montreal Gazette. On Friday, the transit agency said it might switch back to using “go” once it receives “official confirmation” that it won’t be penalized.

Roberge said employees of the language watchdog — Office québécois de la langue française — have received threats since the news broke. “This is completely unacceptable. This must stop,” he said in his statement.

He said he’s had “several exchanges” with the language office about the matter, and any future complaints about the phrase “Go Habs Go!” will be dismissed. “It’s clear to us that this time-honoured expression must never be called into question,” Roberge said.

Dominique Malack, president of the language office, published a lengthy statement Friday that defended the slogan while upholding the transit agency’s decision not to use it. “Under no circumstances has the office objected to the use of the expression ‘Go Habs Go,’ which is rooted in our history and is part of our Quebec identity,” she wrote.

Malack stressed that the language office didn’t launch the intervention with the transit agency on its own, but was responding to a complaint from a citizen. She went on to say that while the word “go” is found in French dictionaries and is commonly used in everyday language, it is an anglicism. Quebec’s French language charter requires public bodies to use proper French, she said.

“A government agency, such as the STM, may only use French in its signage, with some exceptions, such as for health and safety reasons,” Malack said. “The charter is clear about the government’s obligations regarding the exemplary use of French, and the office is mandated to ensure its implementation.”

Still, the transit agency now seems likely to reverse course. Éric Alan Caldwell, chair of its board of directors, said in a statement that he’s pleased with Roberge’s position and the STM will seek official authorization to use the word “go.”

It seems nothing will change for this playoff season, however. Caldwell said any adjustment will be included in regular maintenance of the buses set for the fall. On Thursday, a spokesperson for the agency said the electronic display on each bus must be modified manually.

“The STM is proud to be a long-standing official partner of the Montreal Canadiens and we will continue to be so,” Caldwell said. “Go Habs Go!”

The Canadiens were set to host Game 3 of their first-round playoff series Friday night against the Washington Capitals.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 25, 2025.