Canada's province of Alberta rejected a plan to hold a binding independence referendum, results showed Tuesday, a win for unity as the country faces worsening ties with the United States.
Public broadcaster CBC and leading private network CTV projected a clear win for the federalist side, with official results showing more than 76 percent support for Alberta remaining in Canada with nearly 45 percent of ballots counted.
Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomed the result and said Albertans had made a "clear choice" in favor of unity.
"They chose unity, to build together, and to take care of each other," he said in a statement on X.
Carney, who grew up in Alberta, urged the province to reject separatism and argued that Canada needed stability as it confronted US President Donald Trump's trade war and annexation threats.
A sombre mood took over the restaurant in the provincial capital Edmonton where a leading separatist group watched the returns.
Jeffrey Rath, a top leader of the separatist Alberta Prosperity Project, told reporters his push for independence will "absolutely" continue, despite the result from Monday's vote.
"As far as I'm concerned we've already won. We've created a massive movement in this province," Rath said. "We've been educating Albertans on the benefits of independence and we're continuing to move forward."
Separatist supporter Roger Hodkinson, an 82-year-old retired doctor, told AFP "this movement is not going to stop."
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, a conservative who opposed independence, praised the "widespread support for remaining in Canada" on Tuesday.
Smith, who called the referendum, said a win for the federalists would settle the secession issue, which has divided the province.
Thomas Lukaszuk, who leads the pro-unity group Forever Canadian, said it was "amazing to see the enthusiasm and resolve among Canadians."
Foreign influence?
Alberta has the world's fourth-largest proven oil reserves, and much of the separatist momentum has been driven by anger over oil industry management.
Smith blamed Carney's predecessor Justin Trudeau for igniting the separatist fire, accusing him of trying to crush oil production to advance his pro-climate agenda.
Alberta's independence push has also drawn sustained interest from Trump allies.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called Alberta a "natural partner" for the United States. Elon Musk, the world's richest person and a top Trump supporter, posted on X this month that Alberta "should separate."
Rath of the Alberta Prosperity Project also held meetings at the US State Department, while separatists received advice from Republican political operatives.
'Rash decisions'
Carney has worked to improve relations between the province and Ottawa since taking office last year.
He has partnered with Smith on advancing a new pipeline to export more Alberta bitumen overseas, a project considered a nonstarter during Trudeau's tenure.
Alberta Prosperity Project leader Mitch Sylvestre told AFP earlier Monday that Carney had "threatened" the province in the closing days of the campaign.
Carney's message was "voting against Canada is dangerous," Sylvestre said, calling that "very unreasonable."
Haley Erdegard, a 44-year-old who voted in Edmonton, voiced discomfort with the idea advanced by some separatists that Alberta is forced to share too much of its oil revenue with the rest of Canada.
"I think we probably need to put some more work towards cooperation before making rash decisions about trying to start our own country," she told AFP.