Montreal City Buses Won’t Bring Back ‘Go! Canadiens Go!’ in Time for Habs Season Opener
The iconic slogan ‘Go! Canadiens Go!’ won’t be making a swift return to Montreal city buses as the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) has confirmed that the signs won’t be ready for the start of the Habs’ season on Oct. 8. This decision follows a back-and-forth situation with the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF), which had initially questioned the use of the English word “Go” before later retracting its stance.
The STM is still deliberating on whether to reintroduce the slogan and will announce its decision once it has been finalized. However, due to the annual bus display update process that takes weeks, any potential changes are likely to occur early next year rather than immediately.
The controversy surrounding the slogan emerged earlier this year when the OQLF requested the removal of “Go” from the bus messages, labeling it as an English term. This directive sparked a debate, with French Language Minister Jean-François Roberge defending the usage of “Go” as a quintessential expression embedded in Quebec’s culture.
