Quebec's language watchdog will stay away from 'Go! Habs Go!' from now on, minister says

Matthew Lapierre · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 25, 2025 1:02 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

The curate liable for French successful Quebec says the province's connection watchdog will, from present on, disregard complaints related to the usage of English successful the operation "Go! Habs Go!" 

The Montreal Gazette archetypal reported that metropolis buses changed the connection of enactment to the Montreal Canadiens connected their physics displays to debar utilizing the connection "Go" due to the fact that it was an Anglicism. 

On Friday, Jean-François Roberge posted connected X that the Office québécois de la langue française, oregon OQLF, has been receiving a flurry of backlash.

"OQLF employees are presently receiving threats. This is wholly unacceptable. It indispensable stop," helium wrote. 

Roberge said the bureau would nary longer respond to complaints astir "Go! Habs Go!" due to the fact that it is "an look that is simply a portion of our DNA, our identity."

WATCH | Go! Habs Go! is simply a no-go: 

He and OQLF president and manager wide Dominique Malack some maintained that the French-language watchdog had nary occupation with the expression.

They emphasized that the STM had changed its autobus messages pursuing a ailment to the OQLF astir the operation "GO! CF MTL GO!" successful enactment of Montreal's nonrecreational men's shot team.

The OQLF said it approached the STM and suggested they alteration the language.

The ailment led the STM to alteration their connection of enactment for the Canadiens, who are presently battling the Washington Capitals successful the archetypal circular of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, from "Go! Canadiens Go!" to "Allez! Canadiens Allez!" 

"The word 'go' tin beryllium recovered successful a French dictionary and is utilized successful mundane language," Malack wrote connected X. "However, it is an Anglicism. … The charter [of the French language] is wide astir the government's obligations regarding the exemplary usage of French, and the [OQLF] is mandated to guarantee that it is applied."

On Friday, the Société de Transport de Laval (STL), the transit authorization liable for Laval, Que., conscionable northbound of Montreal, said it was besides changing the signs connected its buses that expressed enactment for the Laval Rocket, the Montreal Canadiens's American Hockey League affiliate.

"Following the OQLF's involution astatine the STM, the STL has decided to regenerate the connection 'Go! Rocket Go! by 'Allez Rocket!'" a spokesperson said successful an email. 

Like the STM, changing the displays has to beryllium done manually and the spokesperson said it volition instrumentality immoderate clip to beryllium completed.

The removal of "Go! Canadiens Go!" sparked furor online and successful the halls of the National Assembly. 

Even the sovereignist Parti Québécois said its person Paul St-Pierre Plamondon volition proceed to usage the operation "Go! Habs Go!"

Catherine Gentilcore, the PQ's civilization and communications professional said her enactment has "bigger" priorities erstwhile it comes to the extortion of the French language. She cited expanding Bill 101 to inferior CEGEPs (junior colleges), improving francization efforts and strengthening civilization and connection programs successful schools.

"We've been utilizing 'Go! Habs Go!' for a 100 years now. So I deliberation 'Allez! Canadiens Allez!' is good, it's fine, but 'Go! Habs Go!' it's good too."