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Two nations colonised Canada during the 17th century, setting the stage for the perpetual war between them. After the English beat the French on the Plains of Abraham in 1759, the victors did a strange thing. They gave back to the French most of what the French had been fighting for: their land, which became the Province of Quebec; their language – which would, much later, become the other official language of Canada; and their culture, which flourished.

For two hundred years, traditional political parties battled to gain and retain power in Quebec City. But in the 1970’s, a new party emerged. Its mandate was to separate from Canada. Even though they stated clearly their desire for independence, the legislators did not want the rest of the world to see them as isolationists; they strove to maintain visibility, both at home and abroad. Trade consulates were established in many of the world’s capital cities as well as a number of strategic consulates in the influential centres of commerce, finance and trade.

The Consulates in New York City and Washington, D.C. were twin operations working together for one unified mission: keep Quebec on the U.S. radar screen.

Recently, the staff of both consulates had focused on supporting the new delegations from Quebec City that had arrived when the earliest rumours about Saskatchewan had surfaced. Schedules became even more hectic as the meetings were stepped up with various members of Congress and key people in the Democratic and Republican National Committees.

Exactly one hour after the Saskatchewan Referendum was announced, without needing to be told, all consulate staff members scrambled to prepare for the inevitable and immediate arrival of substantial Quebec delegations. They knew what was to come.