A broken highway sign in Nova Scotia directing traffic to the "E.I. ferry" is generating some chatter online.

Laughlin Cameron, of Seafoam, N.S., posted a photo of the broken sign directing to the Northumberland ferry to P.E.I. on Facebook.

"I just thought it was a funny coincidence," Cameron told CBC.

"This is the time of year when a lot of people get laid off so I snapped a picture to show my father, who is a lobster fisherman."

As of Thursday afternoon, the image had been shared more than a thousand times.

One of the comments on Cameron's post reads "No, No, No, Yes, No" in reference to the answers one must give on an employment insurance report to continue receiving benefits.

Another photo of the sign made the rounds on Twitter.

Anyone on EI not happy with their payout? Just follow the signs to the EI Ferry!! <a href="https://twitter.com/KTanPot">@KTanPot</a> <a href="https://t.co/7EOQi0i2zx">https://t.co/7EOQi0i2zx</a> —@jamesrpotter

In a written statement to CBC News on Thursday, Nova Scotia's department of transportation said the sign was likely damaged during a snow storm.

"The sign has been temporary fixed to read 'Ferry.' There is another sign that indicates the P.E.I. Ferry in close proximity," it said.

"A permanent replacement for the sign is expected to be installed this spring as construction work was already planned in the area around the rotary."

There are many seasonal jobs in P.E.I. — and Islanders who make E.I. claims have been the butt of many jokes in popular culture.

A sketch on CBC's This Hour Has 22 Minutes follows a "P.E.I. E.I. P.I." — a private investigator who tries to catch E.I. fraud.

The P.E.I.-based web series Just Passing Through features a fictional T.V. show called Pogey Beach, where E.I. claimants in P.E.I. sit on the beach, drinking beer.

The ferry between P.E.I. and Nova Scotia has stopped operating for the winter season.