The first Canadian has been identified among the casualties of four planes that were hijacked and crashed Tuesday in the United States.

Garnet Ace Bailey, the director of pro scouting for the Los Angeles Kings, was on board one of two planes that crashed into the World Trade Center in Manhattan.

Bailey, from Lloydminister, Saskatchewan, was a passenger on United Airlines Flight 175.

"We just got confirmation from the family," said Kings spokesman Mike Altieri.

The 53-year-old Bailey was a former Edmonton Oiler who once played with Wayne Gretzky.

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of Ace Bailey," said Gretzky in a release.

"Our hearts go out to his wife Kathy and his son Todd. Ace may not have been the greatest hockey player to play in the NHL, but he taught many players how to win championships and more importantly, he was a winner as a person. We will all miss him greatly."

Other Canadians were eye witnesses to the tragedy that unfolded in Manhattan Tuesday.

Robin Bates, a Toronto native working at an ad agency in New York, was on the 18th flood of her office building in midtown Manhattan where she watched in horror as one of the jets plowed into the World Trade Center.

"It just lit up like a lighter," said Bates. "It was terrible... I felt my stomach go up into my throat. I had to get away from the window. People were screaming and crying."

Bates also watched as both towers collapsed.

"I heard someone say the building is tilting." Bates said, referring to the second tower. "I though this can't be happening. It just started, floor by floor sinking, like a banana, peeling right down... You cannot believe what it looks like."

George Scrivens of Kingston, Ontario also witnessed the attack on the twin towers from his Manhattan office about 1.5 kilometres away.

"I actually saw the second plane fly around and go into the building," said Scrivens who works at Merrill Lynch.

"When I saw the plane go in I actually thought it was going around the tip of the island to go into La Guardia. And then you realized right away it was flying too quick, too low and then I saw the explosion."

New Brunswick Premier Bernard Lord was in New York on a trade mission when the attack occurred. Lord was in a breakfast meeting in a hotel in midtown Manhattan when the disaster occurred.

"About an hour after the incident, we could see thousands of people walking from the south to the north of the city, leaving the downtown core," Lord said.

"They were orderly and calm, but you could see the sorrow and concern on their faces."

The World Trade Center was also home to several Canadian companies, including Thomson Financial, Scotia Capital and TD Waterhouse.

Thomson Corp. had three financial services units in the towers which employed about 200 people.

"It's devastating and tragic and we are doing everything we can to find out what happened to our employees and, once we find that, contacting the families of those employees," said Thomson spokesman Jason Stewart from the company's head office in Stamford, Conn.

Stewart was unable to say how many of those working in the towers were Canadian or how many of them were at work when the buildings were struck and later collapsed.

A spokesperson for the Canadian consulate there says they're advising Canadian citizens to closely monitor local news coverage, and follow advice of the local news and security officials.

"The Canadian consulate is working with the local authorities to determine procedures regarding identifying any Canadian victims," says Pratima Rao, spokesperson for the Canadian consulate in New York City.

"Canadian consulates all over the U.S. have been instructed to maintain their operations at an emergency-response level, and we are providing information and consular assistance to Canadians as required."

The Foreign Affairs Department says Canadians concerned about people who may have been affected by Tuesday's terrorist acts in the United States may call 1-800-387-3124.