1940 inclusive. The year 1942 was the third of three consecutive 

 years in which practically no bergs reached the banks. The only 

 previous sequence this century of three comparable light ice years 

 is that of 1900 to 1902. Farther north along the Newfoundland 

 coast field ice was found in Notre Dame Bay from time to time 

 until it cleared out completely in June, Bergs were present in the 

 same vicinity through June. This ice is chiefly of local importance 

 as it is seldom blown in any quantity east to the south-setting cur- 

 rents. The Strait of Belle Isle was clear of field ice by June but a 

 few bergs remained. Bergs are normally found in the strait or 

 drifting south past the eastern entrance until August. 



LABRADOR AREA 



The Labrador area, area 3 of the table of ice reports, runs from 

 the Strait of Belle Isle north to the entrance to Hudson Strait. Air 

 reconnaissance on 29 March disclosed no pack south of Belle Isle 

 and only a narrow strip, about 30 miles wide, along the Labrador 

 coast from there north to Hamilton Inlet. Small numbers of bergs 

 were in the pack. By 7 April considerably more pack was present 

 in the vicinity of Belle Isle and north along the Labrador coast 

 (please see the ice chart for April). On 25 April a coastal belt of 

 field ice about 100 miles wide extended from Belle Isle to Hamilton 

 Inlet. The belt was slightly wider on 8 May, after which it re- 

 ceded rapidly. On 8 May the inner 40 to 60 miles of ice next to 

 the coast was heavy and very close packed, and contained about 

 60 bergs, far less than would be expected normally. The outer 40 

 miles of field ice was mostly open strings ; few bergs were in this 

 offshore ice in a position to drift down the main axis of the Labra- 

 dor Current. By 19 June practically no field ice remained south 

 of Hamilton Inlet, and by 10 July the southern limit had receded to 

 latitude 57°30' N. 



HUDSON STRAIT AREA 



The Hudson Strait region (area 4) is one from which scant ice 

 information has been available in the past and little can be added to 

 the sighting reports given in the table of ice reports. On the whole 

 the ice conditions in this area were much less severe than would 

 be anticipated for an average ice year. The southern part of 

 Ungava Bay was free of field ice to approximately 59° 30' N. on 

 18 June. By 11 July the heavier Arctic pack had entirely dis- 

 appeared from Ungava Bay and Hudson Strait leaving only rotten 

 remains of local ice and loose strings of field ice from Foxe Channel. 

 This ice was easily navigable for an ice-protected vessel. Frobisher 

 Bay above the island barrier was still unnavigable on 26 July 

 due to rotten unbroken sheets of local ice, but opened up in early 

 August. After that all areas were navigable until the close of 

 the season in early November. The critical region in Hudson Strait 



