Montreal clubs are all making efforts to respect French.

(Montreal) A little less than a year ago, Montreal Alouettes safety Marc-Antoine Dequoy capped off a legendary linguistic tirade on television with the famous phrase “Keep your English!” just minutes after the Montreal Alouettes’ unexpected victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Grey Cup game in Hamilton, Ontario.

The 29-year-old Montrealer wanted to denounce, with these few words overflowing with emotion, the omnipresence of the language of Shakespeare on the signs, scoreboards and other promotional objects surrounding the Canadian Football League championship game. It was a cry from the heart, which recalled, in a way, the adventures of the comic strip character Asterix, who lives “in a village populated by indomitable Gauls who still resist the invader.”

And it was the culmination of a season in which the Alouettes, a neglected team that had just experienced a long period of failure, had decided to motivate the troops starting at the 2023 training camp by making them aware of the importance of French for the Quebec population and the Montreal market.

Thus, at the initiative of head coach Jason Maas, an American from Wisconsin, he reserved a daily “French-speaking surprise” for all his athletes, without exception. Maas notably submitted them to improvised quizzes on French, and asked each of his players to pronounce their number in French. A test that the majority of them passed brilliantly.

The club’s spokesperson confirmed to The Canadian Press earlier this week that the Alouettes’ French-learning initiatives are continuing. Maas still has little “quizzes” for players, who have to learn their number in French and one word per day. He also indicated that he sometimes has — brief — interactions in French with some players.

So what about other Montreal professional organizations? The Canadian Press looked into this question and met with Jeff Gorton, the executive vice-president of hockey operations for the Bleu-blanc-rouge, on the subject earlier this summer.

Because, after years of being criticized for its neglect of French – need we recall that the Canadiens hockey club originally referred to French Canadians, that is, the Quebec population? – the Canadiens took the bull by the horns and implemented, in particular, a free French course accessible to all members of its organization. Gorton himself claims to take a course every week. He also attempted a – brief – response in French during the team’s end-of-season review earlier this spring.

“You know what, there are so many questions in French and Kent [Hughes, le directeur général] “I talk so much. It’s still a little too fast for me, a novice. But it’s nice to have that. At the same time, if the people around me talk slowly enough, I can make out a few words in each sentence. I’m learning, I guess? It’s hard, I have to admit, but I enjoy taking these classes,” Gorton said.

And what about the players?

“We have a few professionals available for those who want to take classes. We usually try to make them available once a week, but sometimes, because of the busy schedule, it goes to every two weeks. And like everything else, nothing is mandatory. But we have a lot of employees who take these classes, enjoy them and continue with them. We’re pretty proud of that,” added the former New York Rangers executive.

“Most of our guys, if you dig a little bit, have some basics [de français]. They know how to say “Hello”, “How are you”? For example, Logan Mailloux said a few words in French after a game, and the reception from the fans was always warm. We have players like Justin Barron, who took French immersion classes […] “It’s about offering it and making them a little more comfortable. It’s going pretty well,” said Gorton, a 56-year-old American from Massachusetts.

The Montreal team in the Professional Women’s Hockey League is no exception, with many French-speaking players on its roster. And who could forget the interview in French given by its coach Kori Cheverie, a Nova Scotian, just a few months after starting French classes?

“I heard about it!” Gorton admitted with a laugh. “I looked ridiculous next to her! People around me told me she spoke excellent French. I really felt like a dunce.”

Gorton assured in the same breath that French is very important within the tricolor organization.

“It starts with Marty [l’entraîneur-chef Martin St-Louis]. When he speaks, every day, the guys understand the importance of both languages ​​here. Of the place of hockey in Montreal. We try to make everyone aware. […] We want our players to do their best in everything they do. So we encourage them as much as possible to take the time, to find the time, to learn functional French. And we hope that some of the gifted ones can stand out from the crowd. And that at some point, they will be comfortable enough to give you interviews in French,” he summarized.

CF Montreal well established in its community

For its part, CF Montréal has implemented a structure modeled on that of the major European soccer clubs, which are deeply rooted in their respective communities. The Major League Soccer club has notably developed its Academy, which is responsible for identifying and developing the best Quebec hopefuls from a very young age.

This Academy has played an even more important role since CF Montréal changed its sports strategy, which essentially consists of offering them a springboard to the biggest European circuits, among others. In this regard, Quebecers Ismaël Koné and Mathieu Choinière, now respectively with Olympique de Marseille and Grasshopper Club Zurich, are very good examples of success. The presence of former captain Patrice Bernier, and the current one, Samuel Piette, also demonstrates the importance of the French fact for the club.

And, of course, CF Montreal is still owned by Montreal businessman Joey Saputo, managed by Montrealer Gabriel Gervais, president and CEO, and led on the field by Frenchman Laurent Courtois. In short, French often resonates in the corridors of Saputo Stadium.

While the club did not grant a formal interview to The Canadian Press on the subject, its spokesperson mentioned that CF Montreal has already offered programs to encourage players to learn French, without it being an obligation or a request from management. One example that was raised is that of American Jesse Marsch, the team’s first head coach in MLS – who is now the head coach of the Canadian men’s soccer team. Marsch already spoke French, functionally, before joining the Montreal ranks, but he took classes to perfect his French and address the media and fans with ease.

Classes have not resumed since the COVID-19 pandemic, the club spokesperson said, but that doesn’t mean they won’t return at some point.

In short, in a world where everything essentially takes place in the language of Shakespeare, the Montreal market remains unique. And the professional clubs of the metropolis are therefore trying, by implementing various measures that are sometimes crowned with success, sometimes with failure, to ensure that they make an effort to show their respect for the language of Molière.

And who knows, maybe, like the Alouettes’ unexpected victory in 2023, French will manage to keep its place in this resolutely bilingual metropolis?

With contributions from Frédéric Daigle, Alexis Bélanger-Champagne and Simon Servant