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The ByWard Market District Authority (BMDA) has parted ways with its executive director Victoria Williston after only seven months.
The board of the municipal corporation responsible for stewarding the downtown Ottawa heritage area said it has decided to move in a different direction, that the matter is internal and private, and it will not be commenting any further.
It did not mention a replacement executive director.
On LinkedIn, Williston said she’s proud of the work she’s done, including opening the Carré ByWard Square live music space and the Night Ambassador Program.
“The dial moved. You can see it walking through the district any given day. More people, more life, more reason to stay a while. That shift belongs to a lot of hands, and I’m glad mine were among them,” she wrote.
Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, who sits on the BMDA’s board, said Monday he wasn’t at the meeting where Williston’s dismissal was discussed, but he supports the board’s decision.
“There were a lot of issues that arose. Board members felt like we needed stronger leadership than was in place,” he said.
Williston was appointed to the job in January, succeeding Zachary Dayler who left the role in 2025.
Williston had previously been the organization’s communications and marketing manager.
The ByWard Market District Authority confirmed it has parted ways with executive director Victoria Williston, who was appointed to the role in January. (Synapcity)Frustrations from businesses
For vendors in the market, the news comes as they say their frustrations are mounting with the organization.
Maxine Hill, who owns and runs Canada in a Basket, said the BMDA has been making decisions like closing streets for events without consulting businesses.
Maxine Hill owns and runs Canada in a Basket in the ByWard Market. She’s critical of the ByWard Market District Authority for not consulting with businesses on recent decisions. (Tristan Strasbourg/CBC)
“We hear about it after the decision has been made. We are not consulted as to the how and certainly not the what. So it’s a problem and it’s been worse and worse,” she said.
“It came seemingly out of nowhere. It was a bit of a shock because it’s only been since the beginning of this year that she was in that role,” said Tickled Pink owner Jill Anguaya.
Both also point to how there are no vendors on the BMDA’s board, something they say they want changed.