Montreal Buses and Metro Get Canadiens Signs and Player Voices
Montreal Buses and Metro Get Canadiens Signs and Player Voices
Introduction
The STM (Montreal transit) started a new promotion with the Montreal Canadiens hockey team. Players will say station names on the metro. Buses will show the English phrase 'Go Habs Go' again. This happened after a language rule was made clear.
Main Body
Last year, the STM removed 'Go Habs Go' from buses. A language office said it was a problem. Then the office changed its dictionary. Now the word 'go' is okay for sports. Four Canadiens players recorded French station names for two metro stops near the Bell Centre. This is the first time players did this. The idea came from a video. The players are Lane Hutson, Juraj Slafkovsky, Alexandre Texier, and Jakub Dobes. Now buses show 'Go Habs Go' again. About 700 buses have it. The STM wants all buses to show it by April 30. Some buses still show the French version 'Allez les Canadiens'. The STM and Canadiens work together often. Many people take the metro to games. People like the new signs and announcements. The special announcements will stay during the playoffs.
Conclusion
The STM did two things: player announcements and bus signs. This shows the partnership with the Canadiens. The announcements will end when the playoffs end.
Vocabulary Learning
Sentence Learning
Montreal Transit Agency Reintroduces Canadiens-Themed Signage and Player-Voiced Metro Announcements After Language Rules Clarification
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
Sentence Learning
Montreal Transit Agency Reintroduces Canadiens-Themed Signage and Player-Voiced Metro Announcements Following Language Regulation Clarification
Introduction
The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) has launched a new promotional initiative in collaboration with the Montreal Canadiens, featuring player-recorded station announcements and the reinstatement of the English phrase 'Go Habs Go' on bus destination signs. This development occurs approximately one year after the agency removed the same phrase from buses due to concerns over Quebec's language legislation.
Main Body
**Background and Previous Controversy** In the period between May 2024 and January 2025, the STM received correspondence from Quebec’s language watchdog, the Office québécois de la langue française, following a complaint about the use of the English word 'Go' on bus electronic signs. In response, the agency removed the phrase 'Go! Canadiens Go!' from its buses. Subsequently, after public outcry, the language regulator updated its online dictionary to state that the word 'go' is 'partially legitimized' in Quebec as a term of encouragement for sports teams, though it noted that the French equivalent 'allez' remains the preferred term. **Current Initiative: Player-Voiced Metro Announcements** The STM has recruited four members of the Montreal Canadiens—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 adjacent to the team’s home arena, the Bell Centre. According to STM spokesperson Laurence Houde-Roy, this marks the first time the agency has replaced the standard automated station voice with recordings from specific individuals. The initiative was inspired by a social media video produced in partnership with the Canadiens, in which players delivered short French phrases in a metro setting. Houde-Roy stated that the positive reception to that video led the agency to propose the station-announcement recordings. The team selected the four players based on their availability; Houde-Roy noted that while the agency had sought Québécois players, scheduling constraints prevented their participation, though 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 ridership, given Montreal’s association with hockey. **Reinstatement of 'Go Habs Go' on Buses** Concurrently, the STM has resumed displaying 'Go Habs Go' on the digital destination signs of its buses. As of the reporting date, approximately 705 of the agency’s 1,838 buses (38%) have been updated with the message. Houde-Roy explained that the phrase must be manually entered into each bus’s circuit board, a process that is time-efficient but requires individual attention. The agency aims to have all buses capable of displaying the message by April 30. Houde-Roy characterized 'Go Habs Go' as a phrase deeply embedded in fan culture and widely used by the team itself. Some buses continue to show the French equivalent 'Allez les Canadiens'. **Partnership and Public Reception** The STM and the Canadiens have a long-standing partnership, with home games generating significant increases in transit ridership around the Bell Centre. Houde-Roy stated that the agency adjusts its service accordingly to accommodate the surge in passengers. The current promotional campaign is intended to channel 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 perspective, asserting that the campaign leverages Montrealers’ strong emotional attachment to the Canadiens and the team’s integration into the city’s cultural identity. Houde-Roy reported that public response has been largely positive, with commuters sharing their reactions online and in media coverage. The special metro announcements will remain in place for the duration of the Canadiens’ playoff run, or, as Houde-Roy phrased it, 'until they win the Stanley Cup.'
Conclusion
The STM has implemented a dual promotional effort—player-voiced metro announcements and the return of 'Go Habs Go' on buses—following a period of regulatory uncertainty over English-language signage. The initiative reflects the agency’s ongoing partnership with the Montreal Canadiens and its adaptation to both linguistic regulations and fan culture. The temporary nature of the metro announcements ties the campaign directly to the team’s playoff performance.