1906 Season
Nov 15 Last eastbound steamer through the Strait of Belle Isle. (WBB)
Nov 22 SS “Templemore” 42°45’N 58°20’W passed a large iceberg. (HB #851 Dec 20, 1905)
Jan 2 The “Stanley” arrived at Tormentine at 10 a.m. today and left for Summerside at 10:45. The “Minto” arrived at Pictou at 10:30 this a.m. and leaves on return tomorrow at 7 a.m. The schooner “Laura Victoria” commanded by Captain John Hemphill left Georgetown yesterday for Odyborough. She is the last sailing vessel to leave the Island this season. (Pat 2 Jan p1#7)
Jan 12 Ships entering and leaving the port of Georgetown. (Pat 12 Jan p8#4)
Jan 25 The government ice breaker “Montcalm” which left Quebec for Seven Islands, Labrador coast three or four days ago with medical men and supplies to combat the epidemic of diphtheria among the islanders, arrived at her destination yesterday morning at seven o’clock. She went through the most intricate part of the St. Lawrence without ___hts or aids of any kind at a rate of fourteen knots and had to contend with a great deal of heavy ice. (HH 29/01/1906 p1#4)
Feb Reports from early part of month from Sydney, Belle Isle and Point Amour all indicate milder than usual temperatures so far with little or no ice. (NYMR)
Mar 9 A despatch from Meat Cove says the cold weather during the past week made good ice in the gulf for sealing. (HH 09/03/1906 p10#4)
Mar 11 Ice not far off Halifax. (LL)
Mar 13 Ice preventing (temporarily) entrance to Louisburg. (LL)
Mar 17-22 Sydney: Light close-packed field of drift ice from Gulf of St. Lawrence has been present off coast Eastern Nova Scotia since 17th inst. Ice extends from vicinity Scatarie Is. to Cape North and is working southward. Gulf stations at Cape St. Lawrence and Magdalen Is. on the 19th reported heavy close-packed ice everywhere. (NYMR 28 Mar)
Mar 23 SS “Duncan” at North Sydney injured by ice off the coast.
Mar 23 Belle Isle: Straits full of sheet and slob ice stationary. Six bergs. (HB 865 Mar 28 CSS)
Mar 25 Twenty-six years ago last Friday, ice in Charlottetown Harbour was 16″ to 18″ thick, today it is only several inches thick though teams are still travelling on it. (Pat 5 Apr 1932, pg 5#2)
Mar 26 Father Point: Light open ice. Fame Point: Light open ice. Anticosti: Heavy open ice everywhere. Magdalen Islands: Heavy open ice everywhere. Meat Cove: Heavy close packed ice stationary. Cape Ray: Light open ice distant. Point Amour: Straits full of heavy sheet and slob ice moving west. (HB 865 Mar 28 CSS)
Mar 29 Sydney: Light variable winds prevailing off the coast since the 17th have tended to retard the movement of drift ice from the Gulf of St. Lawrence. A large field extends from Scatarie northward off here. Gulf signal stations from Anticosti to Cabot Strait all report quantities of ice stationary up to yesterday. (NYMR 4 Apr)
Mar 30 Magdalen Islands: Heavy close packed ice everywhere moving east. Meat Cove: Heavy open ice distant. (HB 866 Apr 4 CSS)
Apr 2 The mail and passenger service during this past mild winter has been the best upon record; but now winter is ended and we are entering upon the spring time and it is little short of a disgrace to the Department of Marine and Fisheries that no effort is being made to have this port opened. As I write a thoroughly reliable report has come in from Flat River that scarcely any ice can be seen today as far as the eye can reach, and I believe Captain McLean of the “Princess” is ready for work. (Pat 2 Apr p1#3 & 4)
Apr 2 Father Point: No ice. Fame Point: Light open ice inshore. Anticosti: No ice. Cape Ray: Light open ice distant moving south. Point Amour: Straits clear. Belle Isle: Heavy sheet ice to north and east moving south. (HB 866 Apr 4 CSS)
Apr 3 The “Minto” in Port: The recent northerly winds had moved the ice off the island shore and made conditions favourable for reaching Charlottetown, although there is a considerable quantity of ice in the Straits. The steamer came around the east end of Pictou Island as the passage was blocked by way of Caribou. (Pat 3 Apr p1#3)
Apr ~5 Twenty-six years ago [1906]last Friday, ice in Charlottetown Harbour was 16″ to 18″ thick. (Today [1932]it is only several inches thick though teams are still travelling on it. (Pat 5 Apr 1932 p5 c2)
Apr 8 A considerable quantity of ice on the Pictou side was encountered by the “Stanley” today. (Pat 8 Apr p8#3)
Apr 9 [St. Lawrence] river open. Father Point: No ice. Heath Point: Light close packed ice distant. Escuminac: Heavy close packed ice inshore. Tormentine: Light open ice distant. Mulgrave: Scattered ice in strait. Port Hood: Considerable drift ice. Cheticamp: Close packed ice on shore stationary. Meat Cove: Heavy close packed ice stationary. Low Point: Light open ice everywhere moving south. (HB 867 Apr 11 CSS)
Apr 13 Heath Point, Anticosti Island: Heavy close packed ice. (HB 868 Apr 18 CSS)
Apr 14 [St. Lawrence] river open. L’Islet: Two schooners inward. Southwest Point, Anticosti Island: Heavy close packed ice everywhere. South Point, Anticosti Island: Heavy close packed ice everywhere. Escuminac: No ice in sight. Tormentine: No ice in sight. Mulgrave: No ice in strait. Port Hood: No ice in sight. Grosse Isle: Heavy close packed ice stationary. Amherst Island: Heavy open ice inshore. Cape St. Lawrence: Heavy close packed ice inshore. Meat Cove: Light close packed ice inshore 4 miles wide stationary. Cape Ray: No ice in sight. Low Point: Light close packed [ice] inshore stationary; no ice in sight outside. (HB 868 Apr 18 CSS)
Apr 19 Pictou harbour was again clear of ice and navigation of the Strait of Northumberland again open. Steamers had resumed daily trips between Pictou and Charlottetown, PEI, and schooners were arriving at the Strait of Canso. (NYMR 25 Apr)
Apr 19 Sydney: Considerable ice, consisting mostly of strips or small fields, a few miles in length, have passed pout from the Gulf of St. Lawrence through out this week. Observations at the signal stations from Cabot Strait to Anticosti indicate that the ice is becoming scattered, the most of it being west of the Magdelen Islands. The river from Montreal to Quebec was reported clear Apr.17. Several steamers from Sydney and Louisburg have entered the Gulf via Canso since the 17th. (NYMR 25 Apr)
Apr 22 SS “Dahomey” 46°11’N 59°43’W encountered heavy field ice extending N and E. Steamed through it in a northerly direction for about 18 hours until reached Sydney Harbour which was also full. The ice extended to the eastward as far as the eye could see but to the northward, about 3 miles, we could see open water. Left Sydney on the 24th and saw no ice except in the harbour. (HB #870 May 2)
Apr 22 The steamer “Scottish Hero,” which was reported jammed between two cakes of ice, passed through the Strait of Canso Friday for Montreal. (HH 22/04/1906 p12#4)
Apr 23 [St. Lawrence] river open. Southwest Point, Anticosti Island: Heavy open ice everywhere. Heath Point, Anticosti Island: Heavy open ice everywhere. Amherst Island: Light close packed ice inshore. Low Point: Light open ice distant scattering. Cape Ray: No ice. (HB 869 Apr 25 CSS)
Apr 27 Sydney, the schooner “Annie Ethel” from Halifax for Gabarus and Forchu, ran upon the rocks of the narrows at Gabarus Bay yesterday afternoon at five o’clock on account of thick fog and scattered drift ice, which was in the bay, the crew had a narrow escape and with difficulty got away with their lives, reaching the shore by means of a rope which was thrown into the water and carried to the beach by the surf, where willing hands held the shore end. (HH 28/04/1906 p1#6)
Apr 28 Anticosti Island and Cape Ray no ice in sight. (HB #870 May 2)
Apr 28 SS “Iona” 48°30’N 62°26’W: saw a small belt of field ice, very narrow, but seeming to extend a long way to south. (HB 871 May 9)
Apr 29 Father Point: SS “Universe” from Sydney to Montreal passed a schooner fast in the ice. The “Universe” kept towards PEI, rounded off to the westward and got clear. About 10 miles off Shippegan Island passed a schooner bound for Gaspe and 2 other schooners fast in the ice. (NYMR 9 May)
Apr 29 Charlottetown harbour open. (Pat 21 Apr 1923 p 6#4)
Apr 29 SS “Rathlin Head” 48°25’N 62°15’W: saw field ice extending about 10 miles to the northward. (HB 871 May 9)
Apr 29 The mild spurt of late has played havoc with the ice in Humber Arm, and Sat., was the last time it could be crossed over. 2 years ago today [1906], the winter ice broke up here, and last year [1907] it went out on May 5; but this year [1908] it broke up yesterday. (TWS 1908 pg 4, Col. 4)
Apr 30 Quebec: Reports from Anticosti state that the ice is closely packed in that vicinity. (NYMR 2 May)
Apr 30 SS “Bray Head”: About 60 miles ESE from Cap des Rosiers, passed through 15 miles of field ice, very heavy in places, extending far to the northward and southward. (HB 871 May 9)
Apr 30 SS “Numidian”: 11.55 p.m. to May 1, 1.05 a.m., 70 to 60 miles SE of Cap des Rosiers, passed through patches of light field and slob ice in a broken and sodden condition. (HB 871 May 9)
May 2 SS “Tampican” 48°22’N 62°55’W: saw a large patch of field ice 3 or 4 miles long. (HB 871 May 9)
May 8 SS “Bangor” about 11 miles W of Deadman Rock, NF [most likely Magdalen Is.], passed a belt of field ice about 2 miles across at the widest part. (HB #872 May 16)
May 9 HB issue: Gulf and River St. Lawrence are free from ice and that vessels are entering and clearing without hindrance. (HB #871 May 9)
May 9 SS “Norden” 47°22’N 62°22’W met with a heavy close packed ice. Steamed along this in a SW direction for 18 miles. The ice stretched from SW through N to NE for about 24 miles and was seen to the horizon in the NW. (HB #873 May 23)
Jun 21 First Westbound steamer through the strait of Belle Isle. (WBB)