B.C. ice rink where 3 people died remains closed due to safety concerns

By The Staff The Canadian Press

Posted October 21, 2017 6:57 pm

Updated October 21, 2017 7:02 pm

1 min read

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Click to play video: 'More information is released into just how dangerous Fernie’s deadly ammonia leak was.' — The bodies of two city workers and an employee of a refrigeration company have now been removed, and about 60 nearby residents still remain out of their homes. Ted Chernecki has the latest from Fernie – Oct 19, 2017

FERNIE, B.C. – Residents who were forced from their homes because of a deadly ammonia leak at an ice rink in Fernie, B.C., still don’t know when an evacuation order will be lifted.

A total of 95 people who live around the Fernie Memorial Arena were forced from their homes for safety reasons and are being put up in a local hotel.

Fire chief Ted Ruiter says the arena remains closed as experts continue to try to determine if it’s safe to enter again.

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Two men from Fernie and one from Alberta died last Tuesday and authorities are trying to piece together a timeline leading up to the deaths.

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Wayne Hornquist, 59, and Lloyd Smith, 52, worked for the City of Fernie while 46-year-old Jason Podloski worked for refrigeration company CIMCO.

Ruiter says an emergency response team that includes experts from a number of private companies continues to work around the clock and have obtained some samples that are being tested.