City shuts down water intake because of oil slick on river

The Saskatchewan city of North Battleford shut down its water intake plant Friday because of a major pipeline oil spill. Stewart Schafer, the city’s director of operations, said an oil slick was detected downstream from the city on the North Saskatchewan River. “This morning they saw the sheen downstream from us,” Schafer said Friday. “Husky reported to water security that they ... saw a sheen and so everything gets shut right down. “How much, how big, I couldn’t tell you.” Husky Energy has said between 200,000 and 250,000 litres of crude oil and other material leaked into the river on Thursday from its pipeline near Maidstone, Sask.