Montreal Transit Agency Reintroduces Canadiens-Themed Signage and Player-Voiced Metro Announcements After Language Rules Clarification

Apr 24, 2026, 14:21

Introduction

The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) has launched a new promotional campaign with the Montreal Canadiens. It includes player-recorded station announcements and the return of the English phrase 'Go Habs Go' on bus destination signs. This happens about a year after the agency removed the same phrase from buses because of concerns about Quebec's language laws.

Main Body

Between May 2024 and January 2025, the STM received letters from Quebec's language watchdog, the Office québécois de la langue française, after a complaint about the English word 'Go' on bus signs. As a result, the agency removed the phrase 'Go! Canadiens Go!' from its buses. However, after public criticism, the language regulator updated its online dictionary. It stated that the word 'go' is 'partially legitimized' in Quebec as a term of encouragement for sports teams, although it noted that the French equivalent 'allez' remains the preferred term. The STM has now recruited four Montreal Canadiens players – defenceman Lane Hutson, forwards Juraj Slafkovsky and Alexandre Texier, and goaltender Jakub Dobes – to record French-language station announcements for the Bonaventure and Lucien-L'Allier metro stops, which are near the team's home arena, the Bell Centre. According to STM spokesperson Laurence Houde-Roy, this is the first time the agency has replaced the standard automated station voice with recordings from specific people. The idea came from a social media video made with the Canadiens, where players said short French phrases in a metro setting. Houde-Roy explained that the positive reaction to that video led the agency to propose the station-announcement recordings. The team chose the four players based on their availability; Houde-Roy noted that while the agency had wanted Québécois players, scheduling problems prevented their participation, although Texier is a native French speaker from France. Player Alexandre Texier described hearing his own voice on the metro as 'incredible' and suggested that the novelty might encourage more people to use the metro, given Montreal's connection to hockey. At the same time, the STM has started showing 'Go Habs Go' again on the digital destination signs of its buses. As of the reporting date, about 705 of the agency's 1,838 buses (38%) have been updated with the message. Houde-Roy explained that the phrase must be entered manually into each bus's circuit board, a process that is quick but requires individual attention. The agency aims to have all buses able to display the message by April 30. Houde-Roy described 'Go Habs Go' as a phrase deeply rooted in fan culture and widely used by the team itself. Some buses still show the French equivalent 'Allez les Canadiens'. The STM and the Canadiens have a long-standing partnership, and home games cause a large increase in transit ridership around the Bell Centre. Houde-Roy stated that the agency adjusts its service to handle the extra passengers. The current promotional campaign is meant to bring the atmosphere of the Stanley Cup playoffs into daily commutes, according to Houde-Roy. Jean-François Dumas, president of the media analysis firm Influence Communication, offered an analytical view. He asserted that the campaign uses Montrealers' strong emotional attachment to the Canadiens and the team's place in the city's cultural identity. Houde-Roy reported that public response has been mostly positive, with commuters sharing their reactions online and in the media. The special metro announcements will stay for the duration of the Canadiens' playoff run, or, as Houde-Roy put it, 'until they win the Stanley Cup.'

Conclusion

The STM has carried out a dual promotional effort – player-voiced metro announcements and the return of 'Go Habs Go' on buses – after a period of uncertainty about English-language signage rules. The initiative shows the agency's ongoing partnership with the Montreal Canadiens and its adjustment to both language regulations and fan culture. The temporary nature of the metro announcements links the campaign directly to the team's playoff performance.

Vocabulary Learning

commuters (n.)
travelers / people who travel regularly to and from work, especially by public transport通勤者
Example:Commuters have been sharing their reactions online and in the media.
initiative (n.)
project / a new plan or action to solve a problem or improve a situation倡議
Example:The initiative shows the agency's ongoing partnership with the Montreal Canadiens.
legitimized (adj.)
made acceptable / officially recognized as valid or acceptable被合法化的
Example:The word 'go' is partially legitimized in Quebec as a term of encouragement for sports teams.
novelty (n.)
newness / the quality of being new, original, or unusual新穎性
Example:Player Alexandre Texier suggested that the novelty might encourage more people to use the metro.
watchdog (n.)
monitor / a person or organization that monitors the activities of others to ensure they follow rules or standards監察機構
Example:The language watchdog received a complaint about the English word on bus signs.

Sentence Learning

It stated that the word ''go'' is ''partially legitimized'' in Quebec as a term of encouragement for sports teams, although it noted that the French equivalent ''allez'' remains the preferred term.
Passive Voice and Contrast Linker 'although': The passive voice 'is partially legitimized' focuses on the action rather than the agent, common in formal reporting. 'Although' introduces a contrast between the partial acceptance of 'go' and the preference for 'allez'.被動語態 和 對比連接詞 'although'：被動語態 'is partially legitimized' 強調動作本身而非執行者，常見於正式報導。'although' 引導對比，表示 'go' 部分被接受與 'allez' 仍為首選之間的對比。
The STM has now recruited four Montreal Canadiens players – defenceman Lane Hutson, forwards Juraj Slafkovsky and Alexandre Texier, and goaltender Jakub Dobes – to record French-language station announcements for the Bonaventure and Lucien-L''Allier metro stops, which are near the team''s home arena, the Bell Centre.
Relative Clause with 'which': The relative clause 'which are near the team's home arena' provides additional information about the metro stops, making the sentence more informative and connected.關係子句 'which'：關係子句 'which are near the team's home arena' 提供關於地鐵站的額外資訊，使句子更完整且連貫。
Houde-Roy noted that while the agency had wanted Québécois players, scheduling problems prevented their participation, although Texier is a native French speaker from France.
Contrast Linkers 'while' and 'although': 'While' sets up a contrast between the agency's desire and the scheduling problems. 'Although' adds another contrast regarding Texier's native French. These linkers organize the contrasting ideas clearly.對比連接詞 'while' 和 'although'：'while' 對比了機構的意願與日程問題。'although' 進一步對比 Texier 是法語母語者。這些連接詞清晰組織對比觀點。
Houde-Roy explained that the phrase must be entered manually into each bus''s circuit board, a process that is quick but requires individual attention.
Passive Voice and Relative Clause with 'that': The passive 'must be entered' emphasizes the necessity of manual entry without specifying the agent. The relative clause 'that is quick but requires individual attention' describes the process, adding detail.被動語態 和 關係子句 'that'：被動語態 'must be entered' 強調手動輸入的必要性，不指明執行者。關係子句 'that is quick but requires individual attention' 描述過程，補充細節。
As of the reporting date, about 705 of the agency''s 1,838 buses (38%) have been updated with the message.
Passive Voice: The passive 'have been updated' focuses on the buses that received the update, not on who updated them. This is typical in reporting statistics.被動語態：被動語態 'have been updated' 聚焦於已更新的巴士，而非更新者。這在報導統計數據時很常見。