Osborne Village BIZ starts new year without director

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This article was published 07/01/2019 (2832 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Osborne Village Business Improvement Zone is without an executive director following the departure of Stephanie Meilleur.

Meilleur, who ran unsuccessfully for city councillor in Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry in October, is no longer the BIZ’s executive director.

A Dec. 20, 2018 post on the BIZ’s Facebook page announced the change.

“After [eight] years with the Osborne Village BIZ, it is time for a new career adventure! Stay tuned for my next journey in 2019!” a statement attributed to Meilleur said. “I’d like to thank all of the business members, past and current board members and community stakeholders for the memories!”

When contacted by The Sou’wester, Meilleur declined to comment further.

Meilleur joined the BIZ as executive director in 2012, according to a biography she supplied during the civic election campaign. She is also co-owner of F.A.C.E. Productions, a local promotions company, which has worked on events such as APTN Indigenous Day LIVE, the Osborne Village Canada Day Festival, and the 103rd Grey Cup Festival.

During her tenure with the BIZ, Meilleur spearheaded a rebrand and refresh of the neighbourhood in 2015 that included new streetscaping, art, bike racks, and lighting for the area. She was also an advocate for an ambassador foot patrol program in the neighbourhood, which launched in the summer of 2018.

To get the program off the ground, the BIZ moved its office to reduce overhead costs, laid off staff, and reduced its expenses to fund the patrol program. The mayor’s office subsequently provided an additional $30,000 grant to boost the $27,000 the BIZ pulled together to fund the program in its initial year.

Justin Paquin, chair of the Osborne Village BIZ board, said the ambassador foot patrol program and its safe walk service concluded in December, when funding for the program ran out.  

Paquin declined to comment on the nature of Meilleur’s departure from the BIZ, and said the board will discuss whether or not to hire a new executive director at its next meeting.

In the meantime, Paquin said he will be handling correspondence with the BIZ members, a new accountant has been hired to oversee the BIZ’s finances, and social media promotions are being managed by a contracted employee. However, the Osborne Village BIZ website has been taken offline.

The annual Canada Day celebration will also be going ahead, Paquin said.

Paquin said more information will be made available following the board’s next meeting in January and they hope to eventually secure funding to reinstate the foot patrol program.

“It was a pilot program and a taste of what it could be,” Paquin said. “Moving forward, now that we’ve had a pilot program run and at our AGM everyone wants the foot patrol program… so it’s now a matter of how do we take the success of last year and better implement it for this year.”

Paquin said a semi-annual general meeting will tentatively be held on March 18 and an outstanding audit will be presented at that time.