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Gentle former Okotokian killed in Fernie

A former Town of Okotoks employee is being remembered for always taking aim to help others.
Former Town of Okotoks employee Lloyd Smith died in a suspected ammonia leak at the Fernie Memorial Arena on Oct. 17.
Former Town of Okotoks employee Lloyd Smith died in a suspected ammonia leak at the Fernie Memorial Arena on Oct. 17.

A former Town of Okotoks employee is being remembered for always taking aim to help others.

“One of our clients was a maintenance assistance up at the arena and Lloyd (Smith) was his supervisor,” said Brad Fowler, from the Okotoks Foothills Advocacy In Motion Society. “Lloyd was what you wanted a supervisor to be like. He recognized our client for his 30th birthday.

And, when he (the AIM client) broke his arm, Lloyd had everybody sign a card for him. Lloyd made him feel like part of the team.”

Lloyd Smith, a former Town of Okotoks recreation facilities manager, is one of three people killed in what is believed to be an ammonia leak at the Fernie Memorial Arena on Oct. 17. His former office was at the Okotoks Recreation Centre.

Fowler said Smith would do whatever it takes to help AIM, which helps special needs adults live and work in the Foothills community.

“He was a compassionate, gentle, man,” Fowler said.

Smith moved to Fernie approximately two years ago to take a more senior management position in the British Columbia community about three hours southwest of Okotoks.

He grew up in High River and his family was active in the community. His father, Arnold Smith, was a long-time dentist and Rotarian for more than 50 years.

Like father, like son.

Lloyd was a person who went the extra-distance to help his family and community, according to his nephew Dan “Smackintosh” McIntosh, a golf pro at Okotoks' River's Edge Golf Course.

“He was always helping people — he was a paramedic, a pilot and he started getting involved in the community and the hockey rinks as soon as the kids started being in the rinks,” McIntosh said. “He was always helping people.”

For a brief period, Lloyd's son Evan lived at McIntosh's family's High River-area home when Evan was about 12 years old.

“I remember he helped Evan build a little Zamboni that we could use for a little rink outside, so Evan had a nice place to go and shoot some pucks around,” said McIntosh.

He added Lloyd enjoyed fishing, hiking and just hanging out with family.

Lloyd also followed his nephew's long-drive golfing career.

“He would read the articles in the paper and started asking me about my career,” said McIntosh, a highly ranked long-drive athlete. “He started taking up golf as soon as Evan did and they both took an interest in my career.”

Smith was a 1982 graduate of Senator Riley High School in High River. He would later study at SAIT and receive his MBA at Royal Roads University in Victoria, B.C.

The Town of Okotoks declined to comment at this time.

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