An elderly couple died within hours of each other after a man had a heart attack outdoors and his devoted wife froze to death in the brutal cold after she went looking for him.

Grant Triebner, 90, and his wife Ada Triebner, 83, were found by police on their property in Ontario, Canada.

Police found Mr Triebner's body inside an open barn on their property and said he died of a heart attack, and Mrs Triebner's body was found nearby in the snow.

A statement from the Ontario-based Haskett Funeral Homes said: "Two beautiful lights have ceased to shine and this world will be forever a darker place."

There has been an outpouring of emotional tributes on the funeral home's website from family, friends and well-wishers alike, with one relative, Ethel-Lori Triebner, saying the couple would have been "humbled" by the attention their relationship was receiving.

"They shared a love so beautifully precious, complete strangers sense the measure of Earth's loss," she wrote.

"I couldn't have asked God for a better example of unconditional acceptance and grace in my life. I'll always remember Aunt Ada's gentle soul and the way Uncle Grant's laugh danced across my heart."

Rob and Karen Jolly added: "They were, to us, an amazing example of how a marriage should be. They very obviously adored each other."

And Jim Rowe, a neighbour who had lived across the road from the Triebners for 64 years, told Canada's National Post: "They were very close. They loved being in their home."

Mr Triebner had worked as a crop farmer before he retired and also drove a school bus. His wife was a school teacher.

The couple lost a son to cystic fibrosis in 1987, but are survived by two daughters and several grandchildren.

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The National Post reports that Mr Triebner was still very active at 90 and was often seen outdoors, clearing the driveway with his snowblower in winter or cycling in summer.

The Triebners were also both active members of their local church and would volunteer their time and money to community causes.

Temperatures had dropped to nearly -10C on Wednesday when they were found, and Canada continues to be gripped by an extreme cold snap.

Some areas of Ontario have plunged below -20C in the past week – which could feel closer to -35C or -40C thanks to the wind chill, with winds reaching up to 50km per hour in parts.