The CCG's 2200 seamen, deckhands, stewards and cooks--who conduct sea rescues, go on customs and fishery patrols and work aboard government icebreakers, buoy tenders and research vessels went on strike on November 14, 1989 for better wages. It lasted till the end of December 1989. Convoys were instituted on the River from Montréal to Québec City some being made up of 20 ships or more following each other in the ice and no ships were allowed to sail in the opposite direction. Upbound convoys were also set up to take ships to Montréal while ships scheduled to depart Montréal were waiting for the next downbound convoy to sail. This convoy system lasted a good 3 weeks and more than 200 ships took part in them. Luckily there were no ice jams on the River even if temps were well below freezing for 35 days but the weather was fine all the time. Harbor tugs near ports along the waterway worked around the clock to keep the ice moving with the current and doing pilot changes.
Summer buoys were not removed and many of them broke their moorings some drifting as far as Newfoundland. The CCG lost some 200 of them.
Very hectic times for the ship crews but a delight for an avid ship photographer like me who was able to photograph over 100 ships in perfect light and wintery settings during this period.

Marc,
Having been only two years old in December of 1989, I have to ask: what reason did the CCG have for going on strike?

I recall an early winter freeze over in December 1976 starting in the first few days of the month and even in late November in some areas in the Seaway and on the St.Lawrence River. I remember photographing STEFAN BATORY on Dec.8 in ice. Ships in the Seaway required Coast Guard assistance regularly especially in the canals until the system closed just after Christmas. Last time this situation occured was in Dec.1989 but then the Caandian Coast Guard was on strike. No icebreakers were available so McAllister tugs pitched in to help stranded ships to get out of the Seaway before it closed for the season. Those were the days!