People in Alberta have voted overwhelmingly to keep in Canada, rejecting a proposal to pursue separation through a binding referendum.
With most votes counted, more than two-thirds of voters in the province had chosen to stay half of the nation rather than pushing for independence, according to Elections Alberta, exterior.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Tuesday that “it’s a great result for Canada” and he is “thrilled that Albertans have chosen unity”.
The vote was called earlier this 12 months by the province’s chief, Danielle Smith, in response to a public petition. Smith herself opposed the separatist push but said the public will for a vote was plain.
She welcomed the initial outcomes, commenting: “Albertans have voted for a stronger Alberta in a united Canada.”
Smith said she would deal with Albertans later on Tuesday on the path ahead for the province.
In making the case for independence from Canada, many of the separatists said the oil-rich province’s financial growth had been stifled by the environmental insurance policies of Canada’s central authorities in Ottawa.
But those who opposed a breakup – including Carney – called for Canada to current a united entrance in the face of exterior pressures, including an ongoing commerce struggle with the United States.
Speaking to reporters as he walked into a Cabinet assembly in Ottawa on Tuesday, Carney said he had spoken to Smith that morning and mentioned “moving forward in the spirit of cooperative federalism, including on issues of immigration, other common priorities”.
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