OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney says Albertans made a “clear choice” to remain in Canada, even as preliminary results showed considerable support for Premier Danielle Smith’s proposals on immigration and provincial authority.In an early-Tuesday snapshot with 67% of ballots counted, 1,233,250 Albertans had voted to remain a province of Canada, compared with 396,920 who supported beginning the constitutional process toward a future binding independence referendum.Later returns covering more than 1.5 million ballots continued to show approximately 76 per cent supporting the status quo and 24 per cent supporting the referendum process. The figures remain unofficial. Elections Alberta is expected to publish official results on Oct. 29.The question did not directly ask Albertans to approve independence.“On October 19, Albertans made a clear choice,” Carney said in a statement Tuesday. “They chose unity, to build together, and to take care of each other.“Above all, Albertans chose Canada.”Carney said the result means Albertans and other Canadians can “move forward together with renewed purpose and high ambition.”.He said Ottawa is securing new international trading partners, accelerating major projects and seeking to make Canada a global energy power “with Alberta at its core.”“Canada is so much greater than the sum of its parts,” he said.Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre also welcomed the result, saying Albertans had “decisively voted for a stronger Alberta within a united Canada.”“The promise of Canada is worth fighting for,” Poilievre said.He added that governments should now focus on “affordable food and homes, safe streets, strong borders, and less immigration.”Smith, who supported remaining in Canada, said the early results demonstrated widespread support for that position.“Albertans have voted for a stronger Alberta in a united Canada,” she wrote on social media. The premier is expected to deliver a televised address Tuesday evening.The decisive result on Canada did not extend uniformly across the other nine non-binding questions on the ballot.Preliminary figures showed majorities supporting all five of Smith’s immigration and citizenship-related proposals. Those included increased provincial control over immigration, lower immigration levels, Alberta-first employment policies, eligibility restrictions for provincially funded services and proof of citizenship for provincial voters.Support for those five proposals ranged from roughly 57% to more than 62% in the partial count.Results were considerably closer on the four constitutional questions.Early returns showed narrow support for allowing provinces to select superior court judges and abolishing the unelected Senate. Voters also appeared to favour giving provincial laws priority in certain areas of shared or provincial jurisdiction, while narrowly opposing the proposal allowing provinces to opt out of federal programs without losing the associated federal funding.Elections Alberta cautioned that counting on the nine policy questions was less advanced than on the Canada question and that preliminary margins could change.Keith Wilson, a leader in the Alberta independence movement, said the result nevertheless showed that close to one-quarter of voters believe the province needs better treatment within Confederation.“We don’t have the final results,” Wilson said. “I think the numbers are going to fluctuate, but it is fair to say that at least a quarter of Albertans feel that Alberta needs to be treated better.”More than 1.35 million Albertans had voted at advance polls or by special ballot before Monday. Elections Alberta said counting would continue around the clock, with unofficial results required within 48 hours of the final polling location closing.
