Long known for its deep-rooted independence movement, Quebec has been embracing its identity as part of Canada with rare vigor in the face of the sharp attacks from Donald Trump.
The US president’s broadsides against America’s northern neighbor, and his avowed aim of making it the 51st state, have pushed people all over the country to reconsider what being Canadian means in the 21st century — a rethinking given added impetus by fast-approaching general elections.
Against expectations, Quebec — the French-speaking province that loves to set itself apart from Canada’s majority — has been among the most fervent adopters of the new patriotic sentiment.
“It’s crazy, in just a few weeks I’ve evolved about a lot of things — I feel very Canadian,” Carole Potvin said as she sat drinking a coffee in a Montreal neighborhood that is a stronghold of the pro-independence Bloc Quebecois party.
“We felt under threat, …