Alberta, an oil-rich province in Canada, asked residents on the 19th (local time) whether to pursue independence, but the proposal was virtually rejected.
According to the Alberta Election Commission's provisional tally on the 20th, with 81% of voting stations having completed counting, 75.5% supported remaining in Canada.
Only 24.5% of residents supported the idea of starting the separation and independence process.
“Albertans have made a clear choice,” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a statement. “They have chosen to unite, and they have chosen to build together and take care of one another.”
Prime Minister Carney emphasized, “Canada is greater than the sum of its parts.”
He announced that he discussed strengthening cooperation between the federal and provincial governments, including voting results and immigration issues, with Alberta Governor Daniel Smith this morning.
Earlier, in a social media post, Governor Smith welcomed the results, saying, "Albertans chose a stronger Alberta within a unified Canada."
Although Governor Smith is opposed to independence, he held this referendum under pressure from separatists within the ruling United Conservative Party.
“It’s clear that at least a quarter of Albertans think Alberta deserves better,” said separatist leader Keith Wilson.
This referendum is not legally binding. It is a form of choosing between whether Alberta will remain as a province of Canada or whether to pursue a binding referendum on whether to pursue independence. Advance voting was also held from the 13th to the 17th.
Alberta is Canada's main oil producing region and a stronghold of the conservative camp. There was inherent anger among residents that the federal government's carbon tax and eco-friendly energy conversion policies were causing Alberta's core industries to disappear and threatening the local economy.
Complaints that the federal government was excessively interfering in resource development, immigration, justice, and welfare policies, which were the provinces' inherent powers, also contributed to the movement for independence.
However, even within Alberta, voter reactions were mixed.
“Alberta has been treated like a colony (by the federal government),” Dustin Degenhardt told the Associated Press. “They just keep taking from us and don’t want to give anything back.”
But Dave Malka criticized spending money on “referendums on referendums” instead of health care. “This seems to be happening at the worst possible time when we should be united. We are fighting among ourselves,” he lamented.
Prime Minister Carney, who took office last year, has been conscious of the dissatisfaction of Albertans and has worked to reestablish the relationship between the federal government and the province.
He grew up in Alberta and supported the province's exemption from some environmental regulations and the construction of a new oil pipeline to the British Columbia coast, saying it was in the national interest.
Ahead of this vote, he urged residents to reject it. He also expressed concern that “it is being held at the worst possible time” as “some forces outside our borders are trying to divide us.”
In particular, this vote attracted more attention as it was held at a time when relations between the US administration of Donald Trump and the Canadian government were deteriorating, and controversy over US intervention arose as officials of the Alberta secession movement reportedly met with US State Department officials last year to appeal for support.
President Trump has referred to Canada as the "51st state" and has mentioned annexation, and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Besant also said in January regarding Alberta, "We need to bring it into the United States."
The Associated Press analyzed that Prime Minister Carney and supporters of Canadian integration achieved victory as Alberta residents ultimately put a brake on the movement for independence.
Bloomberg News predicted that concerns that Alberta could fall into extreme uncertainty will be alleviated somewhat as companies are expected to invest ahead of the energy industry boom.
