Ottawa's defence and aerospace sector is mourning the loss of a regional industry figure this week, after news broke that Barney Bangs, founder and former CEO of Tulmar Safety Systems, has died at age 69.
Who Was Barney Bangs
Bangs founded Tulmar Safety Systems in Hawkesbury, Ontario, a town in the eastern part of the province that sits within the wider National Capital Region's orbit of defence-industry suppliers. Over the years, Tulmar built a reputation as a defence supplier, manufacturing safety equipment used in demanding operational environments. As founder and former CEO, Bangs was the driving force behind the company for a significant stretch of its history, shaping it into an established name in Canada's defence manufacturing space.
News of his passing was first reported by the Ottawa Business Journal, a longtime chronicler of the capital region's business community, underscoring how closely Tulmar's story has been tied to the broader Ottawa-area economic landscape even though the company's home base sits just outside the city itself.
The Ottawa Connection
While Tulmar Safety Systems is headquartered in Hawkesbury rather than Ottawa proper, the company's work as a defence supplier places it squarely within the orbit of the capital's defence and aerospace ecosystem. Ottawa is home to National Defence Headquarters, a dense concentration of defence contractors, and a supply chain that stretches across Eastern Ontario. Companies like Tulmar are part of the network of manufacturers that keep that ecosystem running, supplying the kind of specialized safety equipment that larger defence and aerospace players rely on. Founders like Bangs, who build and run these regional suppliers, are very much part of the story of how Ottawa became one of Canada's defence-industry hubs.
For Ottawa residents who may not be familiar with Tulmar by name, the company is one of many mid-sized manufacturers in the region whose work rarely makes headlines but whose products play a role in keeping personnel safe in high-stakes settings. Bangs' death is a reminder of the people behind those businesses.
A Legacy in Defence Manufacturing
As founder and former CEO, Bangs would have overseen Tulmar through years of growth and change in the defence manufacturing sector — a period that saw increased demand for specialized safety technology across military and aerospace applications. His departure from day-to-day leadership at some point before his passing suggests a company that, under his founding vision, was built to outlast any single leader.
Details about services or further tributes had not been made widely available at the time of this report. The Ottawa Business Journal's initial report noted only that Bangs had passed away at age 69, without additional information on the circumstances.
Ottawa's broader business and defence community, closely tied to nearby manufacturers like Tulmar, will likely be watching for more details on his legacy in the days ahead.
Source: Ottawa Business Journal
