Voters in Canada’s Alberta have overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to begin the process of independence, delivering a decisive victory for supporters of Canadian unity and deepening divisions within the separatist movement.

With nearly 1.9m votes counted, roughly 76% people supported remaining in Canada, while 24% backed beginning a process toward separation, according to unofficial results from Elections Alberta.

The Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney , who grew up in Edmonton, Alberta’s capital, celebrated the result.

“Albertans made a clear choice. They chose unity, to build together, and to take care of each other.…