WE ALL HAVE QUESTIONS AS TO WHAT HAPPENED.

Ray said Smith was adventurous and flew planes as a hobby.

Smith leaves behind 12-year-old son, Ray said.

He was from High River, Alta., and lived in nearby Okotoks before taking the job three hours away in Fernie. A memorial sign in Fernie, B.C., honours the three men who died after an ammonia leak at the city’s ice rink. a

Former prime minister Stephen Harper’s wife, Laureen, tweeted Thursday night that Smith was a childhood friend who taught her how to drive a Zamboni at a rink in High River.

Health Minister Adrian Dix issued a statement saying Smith started his career as a B.C. paramedic in 1996 and was a friend and mentor to many.

“As we wait for more information about this heartbreaking event to be gathered by the BC Coroners Service, WorkSafeBC, Technical Safety BC and the RCMP, we encourage people to take care of themselves and each other, and thank them for the work that they do for patients and communities,” Dix said.

Authorities are trying to piece together a timeline leading up to the deadly incident.

Norm McInnis, the city’s chief administrative officer, said an alarm went off at the local arena around 4 a.m. Tuesday, prompting the municipality to shut down the rink and call in a specialist for emergency maintenance.

Shortly before 1 p.m. emergency crews responded to a 911 call and arrived to find someone providing CPR to a person outside the building. That person died.

“We all have questions as to what happened,” McInnis told reporters Thursday. “Something went terribly wrong.”

Fire Chief Ted Ruiter said response crews originally entered the facility Tuesday afternoon and discovered the remains of the other two victims, but left for safety reasons after performing an interior search.

Emergency responders were able to re-enter the building and recover the bodies on Wednesday, Ruiter added.

An evacuation order remained in effect Friday for homes and businesses around the arena while crews investigate whether there is any lingering danger, Ruiter said.

The city says about 95 displaced residents are being put up in a hotel.