Overview

• The Office québécois de la langue française updated its online dictionary entry on May 30 to partially legitimize “go” as an encouragement interjection while still designating “allez” as the preferred French term.
• Spokesperson Gilles Payer confirmed the office now deems public bodies free to use “go” in sports contexts without compromising their duty under the Charter of the French Language.
• The change follows The Canadian Press’s release of emails showing the OQLF granted Montreal’s transit agency permission in June to resume displaying “go” after a 2024 directive to remove it from over 1,000 buses.
• French-language Minister Jean-François Roberge declared “Go Habs Go” part of the province’s cultural identity and ordered that future complaints about the slogan be dismissed.
• The Montreal transit agency has begun reviewing its signage policies and has not yet decided whether to reinstate “go” on its electronic bus displays.