CALGARY, Canada: Residents of Alberta have voted to remain part of Canada in the province's first-ever referendum on separation, giving Prime Minister Mark Carney a boost as he seeks to unite the country amid a trade war with the United States.

CBC News, Canada's government-funded national broadcaster, called the result late Monday after counting 33 percent of the votes. At that stage, 76 percent supported remaining in Canada, while 23 percent backed moving towards a binding referendum on independence. The October 19 vote was nonbinding.

"Albertans made a clear choice," Carney said in a statement. He added that residents had chosen unity and working together.

"Canada is greater than the sum of its parts," he said.

Pollsters and political analysts had repeatedly played down the chances of a separatist victory. Their assessments were based on data showing that around one-third of Alberta residents supported holding a future referendum on leaving Canada.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced the referendum in May, saying it was "time to have a vote, understand the will of Albertans on this subject, and move on."

Smith said late on October 19 that she was very pleased with early results showing strong support for remaining in Canada. She said she would address residents on Tuesday to discuss the outcome and the province's next steps.

Separatist Movement Faces Setback

A small but vocal group of separatists has campaigned for months to make Alberta independent. Supporters argue that the province's energy wealth helps subsidize poorer parts of Canada and that it could become richer without interference from the federal government in Ottawa.

Last week, Carney told a rally in Calgary that leaving Canada would be "a dangerous bluff that will lead to years of deep division." He urged residents to "vote like Canada depends on it."

Carney, who spent much of his childhood in Alberta, acknowledged that residents had often felt ignored by Ottawa. He said his government had approved a proposed new pipeline and stressed that Alberta was important to reducing Canada's dependence on the United States.

The referendum follows two earlier votes on separation in Quebec, Canada's majority French-speaking province. Voters rejected independence on both occasions.

First Nations groups have also opposed Alberta's separation plans, arguing that their treaties with the federal government predated Alberta's creation as a province.

CBC News reported strong turnout among First Nations voters. A polling station in southern Alberta, home to the Siksika Nation, temporarily ran out of ballots. It stayed open until after 10 p.m. local time so everyone waiting in line could vote.

Despite the result, the referendum is unlikely to end Alberta's separatist movement. Some separatist leaders said before the vote they would keep seeking another referendum even if most residents supported remaining in Canada.

An Angus Reid poll released on October 16 found that 62 percent of Albertans believed "there will never be an end to the separatist movement" in the province.

The referendum also included nine other nonbinding questions on immigration, access to provincial services (including education, social care, and healthcare), and voter identification requirements.