Heard on the local news station here, that the icebreakers are busy on the Northwest coast and Northeast coast of Newfoundland, the ice is down from the North and is pinned on the land.
The Coast guard in Newfoundland has a loan of the Des Groseilliers from Quebec and the Sir William Alexander from Nova Scotia and this is in addition to the Henry Larsen, Ann Harvey and George R. Pearkes.
Local ferries are not able to operate, fishing boats are not able to get out of port, and sealers are not able to get out, and then there are the freighters and tankers trying to get to Botwood and Lewisporte, as well as the Apollo trying to operate from St. Barbe and Blanc Sablon. The Coast Guard said on Vocm.com, that it took a day for one of the icebreakers to move one mile.
Dean