With a resounding vote in favour of Alberta staying in Canada, business leaders are breathing easier, saying the result of the provincial referendum will bring more certainty for investors and give a boost to the entire country’s economy.

“It is a huge relief,” said Deborah Yedlin, president and CEO of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce.

“This vote to stay in Canada means that certainty has been established and that we can attract that investment and that will benefit the economy, not just for Alberta, but for the country.”

Albertans voted on 10 questions on Monday, one of which was whether voters wanted the province to remain in the country, or if they wanted to hold a binding referendum on whether to separate.

Ballots are still being counted, but with 1.8 million votes tallied 12 hours after polls closed, the remain side was leading with 75.5 per cent and CBC News is projecting that Albertans have voted to remain in Canada.

For some, economic challenges within the province were part of the reason for wanting to separate. The crash in oil prices in 2014 hit the major energy-producing province hard, and supporters of separation have said they could reap more benefits from the oil patch if Alberta were on its own and didn’t have to make equalization payments to the rest of Canada.

Deborah Yedlin, president and CEO of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, says the result of the vote is a major relief for business owners and investors in the province and abroad. (Ina Sidhu/CBC)

But many business leaders voiced support for staying in Canada ahead of the referendum. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce and Alberta Chamber of Commerce warned in July that a yes vote could open “another cycle of uncertainty” for business owners and lead potential investors to stay on the sidelines until the dust had settled on whether the province would leave Canada.

A poll commissioned by the Calgary chamber of their members found that nearly half of respondents said they were prepared to relocate their businesses outside of the province if Albertans voted to begin the formal process to leave the country. Another 60 per cent in that same poll said that separatism was already taking a negative toll on their business.

With the vote coming amid global uncertainty and a worsening trade relationship between the U.S. and Canada, Yedlin said the referendum question only “added to the pile” for business leaders.

At Capital Power, CEO Avik Dey says he wasn’t holding off on making any business decisions because of the referendum, but that the separation question did cause some anxiety for investors outside of the province.

“This has absolutely been some level of overhang for us. And I think that overhang dissipates this morning,” Dey said.

WATCH | Economic frustration in Alberta:

Alberta is rich. So why are so many people frustrated?

Alberta is Canada’s wealthiest province, yet economic frustrations are one of the key factors fuelling the separation debate. For The National, CBC’s Ina Sidhu breaks down how the resource-rich province ended up here and what independence could mean for its economy.

With Alberta “clearly” choosing to remain part of the country, Canadian Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Candace Laing says the business community can now focus on building a strong economy together. But she acknowledged the concerns of the separatists, saying that building a strong and united Canadian economy means making sure no segment of the country feels taken for granted.

“Alberta is central to economic security and opportunity in Canada and we must now turn our attention squarely to the needed work to collaboratively build a stronger, resilient, united economy from coast to coast to coast.”