The Coast Guard predicts it will be a bad ice year in Cabot Strait

The Canadian Coast Guard is predicting a bad year for ice in the Cabot Strait, something that could spell trouble for Marine Atlantic and its ferries connecting Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.

A spokesperson says there's more ice in the Strait than usual — and it's moved in a month ahead of time.

"With the ice and cold temperatures we've been having, a lot of ice has formed," said Brad Durnford, the superintendent of ice-breaking for the Coast Guard.

Thick ice has already caused delays for the ferries plying the waters between Cape Breton and Newfoundland in past years.

Durnford said the ice is not currently posing any problems for the ferry service, because it's staying offshore.

But he said a sustained northeast wind would push the ice into Sydney Harbour, where it would "pack up".

Marine Atlantic ferries are "ice class" vessels, giving them the capability to navigate through some ice buildup.

But problems arise when the thicker ice moves into the area and creates layering, which is much harder for the ferries to navigate, said Darrell Mercer, Marine Atlantic's communications officer.

Durnford said Marine Atlantic is a "high priority" client for the Coast Guard and noted an icebreaker can be stationed in the area, when and if the ice becomes a problem.

But ice conditions are difficult to forecast with any certainty, he said.

"That ice could blow out to sea, it could blow back to the Gulf [of St. Lawrence]. It all depends on wind and weather."