ByWard Market vendors receive breach notices after posting renovation protest posters
Sixteen of 17 businesses in the ByWard Market Building received cease-and-desist letters from the District Authority after putting up posters opposing a $200-million city revitalization plan.
The day's top stories, food & events — every morning at 7. Unsubscribe anytime.
Long-standing businesses in Ottawa's ByWard Market have received breach-of-lease notices from their landlord after posting signs opposing a major city renovation plan, escalating tensions between the vendors and the ByWard Market District Authority.
On July 12, 16 of the 17 businesses located in the ByWard Market Building at 55 ByWard Market Square created a petition asking city council to reverse a $200-million revitalization plan. Nearly a month passed without concrete action from the mayor's office, prompting vendors to put up posters around the market to raise public awareness of what they described as a "looming threat" to their livelihoods.
The posters featured an image of Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, a QR code, and text urging the public to email the mayor requesting reversal of what vendors called "renoviction plans." The BMDA took down the posters and sent what Maxine Hill, owner of Canada In A Basket, described as a "nasty" email to vendors claiming they were in violation of their lease agreements. Printed copies of the breach notices followed.
Hill said the letters were first emailed to every vendor, then delivered in person. "We're not trying to be difficult. We're not trying to stir the pot," Hill said. "We are trying to get our voices heard. And that seems to be not well-received."
Hill, who has sold in the ByWard Market for more than 30 years, said she agreed with signage policies but felt the threat to her business remained. "Underneath all of that is a genuine desire to be part of the solution to have our voices heard and to not have our livelihood compromised."
Business representatives who signed the July 12 petition include owners of ByWard Café, Le Moulin de Provence, Canada in a Basket, Tickled Pink, Corazón de Maíz, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and Wang's Noodle House. Moulin de Provence owner Claude Bonnet said Saturday he and other vendors remain "not happy about the situation" but still hope for reversal of the proposed ByWard Market Building project.
When asked for comment, a BMDA spokesperson wrote: "Regarding the posters, the BMDA recently issued notices to tenants addressing the matter," but did not elaborate further.
What specific lease clauses does the BMDA cite in the breach notices?
Has the BMDA formally responded to the July 12 vendor petition requesting reversal of the revitalization plan?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
At a glance
What happened with the protest posters in ByWard Market?
Sixteen of 17 businesses in the ByWard Market Building at 55 ByWard Market Square posted posters opposing a $200-million city revitalization plan. The ByWard Market District Authority removed the posters and sent breach-of-lease notices to the vendors.
Why did the vendors put up the posters?
Nearly a month after submitting a petition on July 12, 2026 asking city council to reverse the renovation plan, vendors received no concrete action from the mayor's office. They posted the signs to raise public awareness of what they described as a 'looming threat' to their livelihoods.
Which businesses signed the protest petition?
ByWard Café, Le Moulin de Provence, Canada in a Basket, Tickled Pink, Corazón de Maíz, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, and Wang's Noodle House signed the July 12, 2026 petition opposing the $200-million revitalization plan.
