"Desperate times" are driving fishermen to risk their boats — and their lives — by heading out into waters clogged with heavy pack ice, according to a store owner in La Scie, who is also the father of one of the crew members rescued Wednesday off Newfoundland's Baie Verte Peninsula. Most people around here haven't drawn EI [employment insurance] or anything from probably the middle of January," said Neil Ward, who runs the La Scie Stop 'N' Shop. (Jamie Matthews/Submitted)Ward is dismayed that Canadian Coast Guard has said the ice conditions are so bad, its icebreaker can't be dispatched to help the stranded fishing boats. Ward says people are asking for credit in order to purchase items because EI payments have stopped, but the fishing season has yet to begin. (La Scie Stop 'N' Shop/Facebook)That's little comfort to Ward, who says the financial strain to make ends meet is a serious "pressure" — not just in La Scie but in other communities across the province.

Source: CBC News June 08, 2017 10:33 UTC