Residents of Alberta have overwhelmingly voted to remain part of Canada, delivering a boost to Prime Minister Mark Carney as he works to strengthen national unity amid trade tensions with the United States.
With about three-quarters of ballots counted early Tuesday, approximately 76% opposed a binding vote on separation, while 24% supported it. The referendum was nonbinding.
“Albertans made a clear choice,” Carney said, welcoming the result as a vote for unity and cooperation.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who announced the referendum in May, also welcomed the early results and said she would address the province’s next steps.
Separatists had argued that Alberta, a major energy-producing province, would be wealthier and better governed independently of Ottawa. Carney warned before the vote that separation would risk years of division.
SEPARATIST MOVEMENT MAY CONTINUE
The result is unlikely to end calls for independence. Some separatist leaders have vowed to continue pushing for another referendum despite the strong support for remaining in Canada.
The vote comes as Carney seeks to reduce the country’s economic dependence on the United States, whose President Donald Trump has repeatedly raised the idea of annexing Canada.
Alberta’s referendum also follows a recent political shift in Quebec, where an independence-minded party won power but fell short of securing a majority to pursue its promised separation vote.
Meanwhile, Indigenous First Nations groups have opposed Alberta’s independence push, citing treaties with the federal government that predate the province’s creation.
Voters also considered nine nonbinding proposals on provincial authority, including immigration, access to public services and voter identification. Preliminary results showed support for eight of the nine measures.
