The people of Scotland are headed to the polls on Thursday to decide whether or not to separate from the United Kingdom and Maritimers of Scottish descent are keeping a close eye on the referendum.
Almost 32 per cent of Nova Scotia’s population claims Scottish origins, making the referendum a hot topic during last weekend’s Celtic Festival in Halifax.
“Regardless of the vote, it will be a different Scotland,” says Rick Grant, president of Nova Scotia’s Celtic Cultural Society.
He isn’t picking sides when it comes to the vote, saying there’s too many unanswered questions.
“Whichever side wins, how’s it going to be maintained? How’s the government going to be maintained? How’s the structure going to be maintained?” he asks. “That seems to be the greatest concern here anyway, with people I’ve spoken with.”
The latest polls predict between 46 and 49 per cent of decided voters are in favour of independence, which makes the roughly five per cent of voters who are undecided even more crucial.
“I think that if the vote goes against independence, I think that really will be the death of the movement for the foreseeable future,” says Jerry White,a Dalhousie University professor, and Canadian Research Chair in European Studies.
If Scotland votes in favour of independence, the two governments would then begin negotiations.
“It’s not clear how the negotiations are going to unfold and so I think the most likely thing to follow a “yes” vote is going to be chaos and confusion on both sides,” says White.
Either way, people are predicting Thursday’s vote will go down to the wire.
“We’ll have to wait really late in the game to find out. I think it’s going to be very close, very much like the referendum of ’95,” says White.
“From what we can follow by the polls, I think it will be close,” says Grant. “We’ll just have to wait and see.”
With files from CTV Atlantic's Matt Woodman
