Canada: Alberta rejects separation bid, CBC projects

Canada's Alberta province has overwhelmingly rejected a plan to begin the process of seeking independence from Canada.

Canadian public broadcaster CBC projects a decisive victory for the federalist side, with official results showing more than 76% support for remaining in Canada after roughly a third of the votes had been counted.

The nonbinding referendum asked residents whether they wanted to stay in Canada or start the legal steps needed for a future binding vote on separation.

The vote marks the first separation referendum held outside Quebec, where past independence movements have been driven by language and cultural differences.

In Alberta, the campaign was largely fueled by economic grievances. The vast oil-rich state is almost double the size of Germany in terms of land mass, but is much more sparsely populated, with around 5 million residents. Almost half of them live in its two main cities, Edmonton and Calgary.

The result is a significant setback for separatist groups and their supporters but a much-needed win for Prime Minister Mark Carney as he attempts to keep the country unified amid an ongoing trade war with the US.

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