The ByWard Market District Authority (BMDA) is looking for a new executive director after the organization said it has parted ways with Victoria Williston. “The Board of Directors of the ByWard Market District Authority has decided to move in a new direction, which will require different leadership,” the BMDA said in a statement to CTV News Ottawa on Monday. The BMDA said Williston’s departure is an “internal and private matter” and will not be commenting further. In a post on LinkedIn, Williston confirmed she has departed from the organization and was proud of the work she did during her tenure. “My time with the ByWard Market District Authority (BMDA) has come to an end,” she said. “The BMDA team is one of the best groups of people I’ve worked with, and the ByWard Market is lucky to have them. Thanks also to our partners at the City, and to the businesses who make the district what it is.” Williston was named the executive director of the BMDA in January 2026. At the time of her hiring, the organization call her an “outstanding candidate uniquely qualified to steward the organization into its next chapter and to advance the ByWard Market’s role as a vital public space rooted in inclusion, entrepreneurship, and city-building.” Williston’s joined the BMDA in 2024 and had formerly worked as a journalist and morning news radio anchor. The BMDA has not announced her replacement. During her tenure on the job, the ByWard Market opened Carré ByWard Square this summer, a new gathering space offering live music, a licenced bar and seating areas to try to revitalize the area. It also opened a new Vendor Village in front of the former Hudson’s Bay on George Street in May, though many business owners say they have struggled financially. The BMDA is working with the city on a $200 million plan to revitalize the historic area, which includes plans to renovate 55 ByWard Market Square, turn the parking garage at 70 Clarence Street into a community hub and create a pedestrian-friendly event space on York Street. The tourism hub has received pressure from business owners over public safety concerns. In response, the city has increased the presence of foot patrols in targeted enforcement hotspots. The BMDA has also deployed two-person security teams to “strengthen safety and responsiveness in the area.”
