In 1901, Quebec begins the "Western Migration." Tens of thousands begin settling on the Pacific coast in Greater Alyeska and Colombia, and establish a decent sized settlement, Montreal-Sur-Pacifique (usually called West Montreal in English) at OTL Victoria.
The large amount of Quebecois moving onto Vancouver Island ensures that by early 1902, the island has a Francophone majority, and the number of Easterners arriving each year only accelerates.
America, of course, is annoyed at this breach of sovereignty. The new residents of the coastal territory still speak French and owe allegiance to Quebec.
Happy at the prosperity the new Pacific trade can bring, Quebec refuses to stop the settlers, claiming it is too difficult and expensive to dislodge the scattered families so far away from the populous East. In a thinly veiled show of support for the settlers, Quebec moves its
borders west, converting its western claim into several new provinces, despite the miniscule population.
To counter this move, America closes off the west, creating a new state and allowing several of the low density western states to annex the remaining unclaimed and unorganized territory. The Quebecois squatters are a point of contention for the two rival nations.
Notes: I'm assuming northern Colombia doesn't have a particularly high population, since America has a ridiculous number of Pacific ports by now. Cities like Vancouver and Victoria, which weren't particularly big by the turn of the century anyway, are going to be even smaller.
I'm thinking we can start a Vancouver Incident with the US Navy sinking a few Quebecois trade ships coming from Vancouver, or some kind of similar border incident?
Also, I encourage more history than just a one sentence explanation of the name!
56.
Pekuni (1903), after the Blackfoot Indians. Portions of Idaho, Montana, and southern Alberta.