‘Great result for Canada’, says Carney as Alberta votes to reject separatism

Alberta voters have decisively rejected a proposal to pursue separation from Canada in a binding referendum, prompting Prime Minister Mark Carney to call the result “a great result” for the country. The vote matters because it delivers a setback to the province’s separatist movement while renewing calls for Ottawa and western provinces to work together.

Preliminary results showed more than two-thirds voted to remain in Canada. Premier Danielle Smith, who opposed separation but supported holding a vote, said she would set out a path forward; separatist leader Jeffrey Rath said his campaign would continue. Separatists argued federal environmental policies had constrained Alberta’s oil-driven economy, while opponents cited national unity amid trade tensions with the United States.