Troy Hurtubise was a Canadian inventor and conservationist who became famous for his eccentric creations and experiments. He was best known for building a metal suit to protect himself from grizzly bears, which was featured in the documentary Project Grizzly. He also invented firepaste, a heat-resistant material, and claimed to have developed devices that could make objects transparent and generate rays of energy. He was awarded the Ig Nobel Prize for Safety Engineering in 1998 for his bear suit.
A Life of Adventure and Innovation
Hurtubise was born in Hamilton, Ontario, on November 23, 1963. He moved to North Bay, where he spent most of his life. He was fascinated by bears since he was a teenager, when he survived an encounter with a grizzly in British Columbia. He decided to build a suit that would allow him to study bears up close without being harmed. He spent seven years and $150,000 on his project, which resulted in six versions of the suit, named Ursus after the Latin word for bear.
The suit was made of metal, rubber, chain mail, and air bags. It weighed about 150 pounds and had various features such as a cooling system, a radio, a video camera, and a pepper spray. Hurtubise tested the suit himself, subjecting it to various impacts, falls, and attacks. He even hired a professional wrestler to hit him with a steel chair while wearing the suit. He claimed that the suit could withstand a shotgun blast, a car crash, and a bear attack.
Hurtubise’s quest to find a grizzly and test his suit in the wild was documented in the 1996 film Project Grizzly, directed by Peter Lynch. The film was a cult hit and earned Hurtubise international fame and recognition. He was invited to appear on various TV shows, such as The Late Show with David Letterman and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He also received the Ig Nobel Prize, a parody award that honors achievements that make people laugh and then think.
Hurtubise continued to invent and experiment with other projects, such as firepaste, a white paste that could resist extreme heat and fire. He demonstrated its effectiveness by applying it to his face and exposing it to a blowtorch. He said that firepaste could have many applications, such as protecting firefighters, astronauts, and soldiers. He also claimed to have invented devices such as the Angel Light, which could make objects transparent, and the God Light, which could generate rays of energy that could destroy or heal. He said that these devices were based on his research on quantum physics and ancient Egyptian technology.
Hurtubise’s inventions attracted the attention of the media, the military, and the scientific community. However, he also faced skepticism, criticism, and ridicule from many experts and peers, who doubted his claims and methods. He struggled to get funding and support for his projects, and often had to sell his possessions and borrow money to finance his experiments. He also faced personal and legal troubles, such as divorce, bankruptcy, and lawsuits.
A Tragic Death in a Car Crash
On June 17, 2018, Hurtubise was driving on Highway 17, west of North Bay, when his car collided with a transport truck carrying gasoline. The collision caused a massive explosion that engulfed both vehicles in flames. The truck driver suffered minor injuries, but Hurtubise’s body was found inside the burned car. He was 54 years old.
Hurtubise’s death was confirmed by the Ontario Provincial Police, who said that the cause of the crash was under investigation. His family and friends expressed their grief and shock over his sudden and tragic death. They remembered him as a passionate, creative, and courageous man who pursued his dreams and visions. They also said that he was a loving and devoted father to his son, who was his only child.
Hurtubise’s death also sparked an outpouring of tributes and condolences from his fans and admirers around the world, who admired his spirit of adventure and innovation. They praised him for his contributions to science and engineering, and for his entertaining and inspiring stories. They also expressed their hope that his inventions and legacy would live on and be recognized.
Hurtubise was a unique and remarkable individual who lived a life of curiosity and exploration. He was a self-taught inventor who challenged the limits of science and technology, and a fearless experimenter who tested his creations on himself. He was a visionary who sought to understand the mysteries of nature and the universe, and a storyteller who shared his adventures and discoveries with the world. He was a legend who will be missed and remembered by many.
