ByWard Market fires executive director after seven months

The ByWard Market District Authority has terminated the employment of executive director Victoria Williston after seven months, the board announced Saturday.

Suzanne Valiquet, vice-chair of the board, said in a statement that the board "has decided to move in a new direction, which will require new leadership." She declined to provide further details, calling the termination "an internal and private matter."

Williston was hired in January 2026 and said on LinkedIn that during her tenure the BMDA opened Carré ByWard Square, relaunched the Night Ambassador Program, and began building foundational systems for the young organization. "The BMDA team is one of the best groups of people I've worked with," she wrote.

Barry Padolsky, an Ottawa-based urban architect who has advocated for the ByWard Market Building's preservation since the 1970s, said the dismissal signals deeper structural problems. "The ByWard Market District Authority isn't structurally set up to be more widely consultative about its mandate," he said, pointing to criticism over a lack of vendor consultation on market decisions. "That's the heart of the problem."

Rideau-Vanier Councillor Stéphanie Plante said she was not consulted about the decision and found out on Friday. Before becoming executive director, Williston worked as the BMDA's communications director and previously at CityNews Ottawa radio. When she was hired, board chair Sandy Smallwood said her leadership "aligns well with the organization's priorities." The source does not explain what specifically prompted her firing.