Mayor Paul Jenkins, a close family friend who has known the family for 30 years, said Everette Smith died on Thursday despite multiple attempts to revive him by teachers and emergency crews at North Hastings High School.

Jenkins said Everette's mother works as a teacher at the school. The mother was supposed to drop her son off at daycare but accidentally forgot.

Jenkins said no one noticed that Everette was still in the car until the end of the school day.

Most areas of southern Ontario were under a heat warning that day, with temperatures reaching the thirties.

The highest recorded temperature that day in Bancroft was 27.1 degrees.

Ontario Provincial Police were called to the school at 3:45 p.m.

For an unconscious child, the police said the child was transported to the hospital by ambulance, but was declared dead shortly thereafter.

Everette's grandfather, Wayne Lord, told CTV News Toronto on Monday that something stressful had happened to his daughter the previous day, and that dropping off Everette was not part of her daily routine.

The Attorney General's office said the investigation into the death is ongoing. "This is a tragic situation. We are still in the early stages of an investigation being conducted in coordination with the Ontario Chief Forensic Pathologist's Office."

"We are aware of the information being circulated, but we are not in a position to comment at this time, nor do we expect to speculate on why or how this happened."

Jenkins urges the community to "show compassion" for the family and acknowledged that Everette's death will have "far-reaching effects." He said he calls on everyone to "support the family and support each other."

North Hastings High School declined to comment on the incident but a small memorial of flowers was placed outside the high school on Monday morning.

In a Facebook post, the school said it canceled the eighth-grade graduation due to an "emergency situation at the school."

Bancroft is located about 100 kilometers north of Peterborough and 244 kilometers from Toronto.

Everette's parents, Diana and Jason Smith, launched a memorial fund for their son, in partnership with North Hastings Children's Services.

A 2019 study found that six children died from being left in cars under hot sun between 2013 and 2018 in Canada.

The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Toronto and the Children's Hospital, stated that in the United States, an average of 37 children die each year from being left in cars under the sun.

Just over half of these cases result from a caregiver unintentionally leaving the child due to stress, fatigue, or routine changes.

The study said: "Experts believe that under certain circumstances, forgetting an infant or child in the back seat can happen to anyone."