Quebec Language Watchdog Partially Legitimizes English 'Go' For Sports Cheers

Quebec's language watchdog, the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF), has revised its stance to partially legitimize the use of the English word "go" in sports cheers, such as "Go Habs Go," despite still preferring its French equivalent "allez." This change followed controversy when Montreal's transit agency was pressured to remove "Go! Canadiens Go!" from bus signage to comply with strict language laws protecting French, replacing it with "Allez! Canadiens Allez!" Quebec's French-language minister, Jean-François Roberge, intervened by defending "Go Habs Go" as part of Quebec culture and pledged to dismiss future complaints about the phrase. The OQLF's reversal came after public outcry and political pressure, with experts noting the office had to comply with the minister's directive. The transit agency is currently reconsidering whether to restore the slogan on its buses. This episode highlights ongoing tensions in Quebec over language preservation amid cultural and political pressures.