OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney says it was “a great result for Canada” when Albertans chose unity in the referendum vote on Monday.
Carney said he spoke to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith early Tuesday about the results and charting a path forward.
In the historic referendum, Albertans voted in overwhelming numbers to remain in the country that made Alberta a province 121 years ago.
In early returns, about three-quarters of Albertans said yes to Confederation, while one-quarter said they wanted the province to hold a second, binding referendum on leaving.
“It’s a great result for Canada that Albertans have chosen unity,” Carney told reporters in Ottawa. “They’ve chosen to build together. They’ve chosen to continue to take care of each other.”
Carney said he and Smith talked about additional support for people affected by the tragic fire at CFB Wainwright in Alberta before turning to the referendum results.
They discussed moving forward in the spirit of co-operative federalism, including on the issue of immigration, he said.
Smith also praised the referendum result.
“Thank you, Alberta!” she wrote on social media.
“Albertans have voted for a stronger Alberta in a united Canada.”
Smith said she would give a TV address Tuesday night to explain where the province goes from here.
At watch parties and rallies in the province Monday night, pro-Canada supporters cheered while those fighting for a new deal were glum but resolute.
“Don’t mess with Canada!” Thomas Lukaszuk, a prominent leader and organizer of the pro-Canada forces, said to cheers at the Polish Hall in Edmonton’s downtown.
About eight blocks away, a rally for separatists at a restaurant fell quiet as the numbers rolled in.
“We’re not going anywhere,” said Jeff Rath of the Alberta Prosperity Project.
“We’ve dominated the conversation in the last year. We’ve been educating Albertans on the benefits of independence, and we’re going to continue moving forward.”
Alberta joins Quebec in putting the question of sovereignty to its citizens. Quebec has held two votes on separation — one in 1980 and one 15 years later. In 1995, Quebecers voted to stay in Confederation by a razor-thin 50.58 per cent.
The separation question was one of 10 put to Albertans. The other nine focused on immigration and the Constitution. Those votes were also being counted Monday but the early results came in slower and with closer margins.
The overall turnout was impressive, with more than 1.3 million votes cast earlier in mail-in ballots and at advance polls.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 20, 2026.
— With files from Jack Farrell, Fakiha Baig and Aaron Sousa in Edmonton
Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press