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Preliminary results indicate more than two-thirds chose Canada over a push for independence for the province, according to Elections Alberta, external.

Monday's referendum was the result of a months-long campaign by separatists in the western Canadian province to get a public vote on the issue.

Provincial leader Danielle Smith welcomed the initial results, commenting: "Albertans have voted for a stronger Alberta in a united Canada."

Premier Smith herself opposed the separatist push but said the public will for a vote was undeniable, and many supporters of her own political party - United Conservative Party - were in the separatist camp.

Smith said she would address Albertans later on Tuesday on the path forward for the province.

In making the case for independence from Canada, many of the separatists said the oil-rich province's economic growth had been stifled by the environmental policies of Canada's central government in Ottawa.

But those who opposed a breakup - including Carney - called for Canada to present a united front in the face of external pressures, including an ongoing trade war with the United States.

"They've chosen to build together," Carney said. "They've chosen to continue to take care of each other, to move forward, to move forward together, with purpose, high ambition."

Carney added that he had spoken to Smith that morning and discussed "moving forward in the spirit of cooperative federalism, including on issues of immigration, other common priorities".

Over the past year, the prime minister has worked with Smith on a number of shared goals, including pushing for an oil pipeline to the Pacific coast.

At a pro-separatist watch party in Edmonton, the hum of upbeat chatter quickly quieted as those present saw the projected results.

After overnight vote projections were published by Canadian broadcaster CBC and others, the mood soured. The watch party attended by the BBC packed up quickly, and people went home.

One of the separatist leaders, Jeffrey Rath, struck a defiant tone, however, vowing that "our movement isn't stopping and we're continuing to move forward".

Speaking to the BBC World Service's Newsday programme, Rath, a lawyer based in Calgary, said he saw Monday's vote as a "first step" which had taught the movement some "valuable lessons".

Asked whether his movement would push to keep holding votes on independence until it got the result it wanted, he responded "why not?", and insisted that "the math and the economics" all added up on his side of the argument.

Premier Scott Moe, from the province of Saskatchewan, said he was glad Albertans chose unity, but added that "there is still work to be done on improving how Western Canada is treated by Ottawa".

Pierre Poilievre, the leader of Canada's Conservative party and a member of parliament from Alberta, said on social media that "the promise of Canada is worth fighting for".

"Now our focus must be on results in people's lives: affordable food and homes, safe streets, strong borders, and less immigration," he said.

Smith called the vote after a grassroots group gathered about 300,000 signatures on a petition seeking a binding referendum on separation.

The petition was blocked by a judge, saying it failed to consult indigenous First Nations people - however, Smith opted to go ahead with the ballot.

Another group collected signatures for its own petition that opposed separation, which was signed by more than 400,000 people.

The key question on Monday's voting paper asked: "Should Alberta remain a province of Canada or should the Government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?"

It's the first time a Canadian province has weighed the issue of separation since Quebec's two referendums, in 1980 in 1995.

Both of those were unsuccessful, but Alberta separatists believe Quebec used the threat of independence to gain significant political leverage over Canada's central government.

Smith said before the vote that if Albertans chose the remain option, a binding referendum on separation would not be held - at least, not while she was in power.