Montreal buses remove Go! Canadiens Go! after language watchdog complaint [Video]

City buses in Montreal have dropped the expression “Go! Canadiens Go!” following a complaint to Quebec’s language watchdog.

Montreal’s transit agency is now using the French expression “Allez! Canadiens Allez!” on the electronic displays on the front of its buses to show support for the Montreal Canadiens’ NHL playoff run. The decision was made because the word “go” is an anglicism, said spokesperson Isabelle Tremblay.

The expression “Go Habs Go!” is used extensively in Quebec to support the Montreal hockey team. It is also used widely by the team itself, including on social media. The hashtag #GoHabsGo appears in oversized letters outside the Bell Centre in Montreal, the home arena of the Canadiens.

But Tremblay said Quebec’s French-language office received a complaint last year about buses displaying the words “Go! CF Mtl Go!” — a reference to Montreal’s professional soccer club. In response, the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) …