are they truly one entity or two? this is a question that has been wrestled with for some time. quebec is certainly part of canada, but in many ways, both culturally, spiritually, and linguistically, it's very much another thing entirely. there's a lot of history, much of it contentious. go back far enough and you get a clearer picture of why. the french arrived on the shores of quebec city in the early 16th century, but succumbed to the military might of great britain in the mid-18th. thus began a gradual but steady persecution of all things french. the québécois have struggled mightily to hang onto their french heritage and language. the issue of seceding entirely, a notion that persists to some extent even today. journalist patrick lagacé meets me for lunch at bistro m sur masson to help me understand a little bit of what many québécois feel is at stake. so, i was going to talk about