About the Ontario Defence Association
The Ontario Defence Association is Ontario’s provincial defence and dual-use industry association. ODA exists to organize, represent, enable, and elevate Ontario-based companies seeking to participate in Canada’s defence industrial base and broader allied defence supply chains.
Ontario’s trusted defence and security industry partner
ODA serves as Ontario’s trusted defence and security industry partner, aligning the province’s industrial, innovation, and workforce capacity with national defence priorities and allied security markets.
Closing the gap for Ontario industry
Ontario has one of Canada’s largest and most diversified industrial bases, but defence-related activity is fragmented across regions, subsectors, firms, and policy systems.
SMEs face high barriers to entry into defence markets, and defence and dual-use companies often need to navigate provincial economic systems and federal defence systems independently. ODA helps close that gap.
What ODA does for Ontario’s defence economy
Industry representation
A provincial voice and association home for Ontario’s defence and dual-use companies.
Supplier readiness
Helping firms understand defence-market fit, quality, security, and compliance expectations.
Government-facing engagement
Queen’s Park-facing engagement connected to Canadian and allied defence priorities.
Market intelligence & industrial mapping
Understanding Ontario’s defence-relevant capability base across regions and domains.
Defence lens on Ontario programs
Applying a defence and dual-use lens to provincial economic and innovation programs.
Workforce & skills demand translation
Translating industry skills demand for workforce, college, and university partners.
Supply-chain resilience
Supporting supplier identification, cluster visibility, and supply-chain resilience.
Buyer-driven forums & convening
Convening SMEs, primes, funders, and ecosystem partners through practical formats.
Five pillars guiding ODA’s work
What ODA is not
ODA is not a military entity, procurement authority, regulator, partisan political lobbying organization, replacement for federal procurement processes, or continuously updated public supplier directory. ODA does not guarantee contracts, procurement access, bid success, government introductions, speaking opportunities, or supplier endorsements.
Ontario-focused. Queen’s Park-facing.
ODA is Ontario-focused and Queen’s Park-facing while remaining connected to Canadian and allied defence priorities. The association supports Ontario companies, regional clusters, supply chains, workforce partners, and ecosystem organizations working across defence and dual-use capability areas.
Board and Leadership
ODA is guided by a board of directors and leadership team drawn from across Ontario’s defence, dual-use, manufacturing, technology, and professional services community.
Board Leadership
Ted Kirkpatrick
Ontario Shipyards
Carl Kumpic
Voyageur Aviation
Board of Directors
Aaron Atcheson
Miller Thomson LLP
Ben Whitney
Armo Tool / Abuma Mfg.
Len Anderson
Dafocom Solutions; Terra Nova Solutions Rewired; Renaissance Network Re-Invent
Heidie Kalmayer
BlackBerry
Scott Healey
BluMetric Environmental Inc.
Nandini Jolly
CryptoMill Cybersecurity Solutions
Jay Hancock
General Dynamics Land Systems Canada
Jacqueline Serviss
Airbus Helicopters
Daniel Blanc
Wisdom Global Security Inc.
Staff Leadership
Heather Pilot
Pilot Hill Ltd.
Ashan Corea
The Strong Link Inc.