North Shore Business Improvement Association fires new GM

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For the second time in five months, the North Shore Business Improvement Association (NSBIA) has parted ways with its general manager.

Interim board president Lynda Douglas told KTW the NSBIA decided to fire Lyn Hellyar in a special in-camera meeting on Tuesday, March 5.

Hellyar started with the organization on Feb. 1 and was still within her probationary period as GM when she was let go.

"There were some concerns from our stakeholders and from our board," Douglas said.

"Through the hiring process she interviewed well. She had tons of knowledge at the BIA level. However, it became apparent she was not a good fit."

Douglas declined to specify what the concerns were, because they were raised at an in-camera session, but said Hellyar wasn't suited to run a BIA the size of the North Shore's.

Hellyar wasn't without controversy in her previous role as the head of the West End Business Improvement Association in Vancouver.

In 2008, she gained national attention when she announced plans to permanently remove pride flags from the gay village. The flags eventually went back up.

Her departure from the Vancouver organization in 2012 was subject to legal discussions.

Meanwhile, NSBIA president Jeff Richards has also stepped down from his role on the board.

Douglas said the board will begin the hiring process again, but with Artwalk and the association's A&W Charity Plus Golf Tournament around the corner, the board's short-term focus is on events, not on hiring.

"It's a critical time for the BIA," she said.

"As a board, we're just going to focus on the events we have at hand."

While the NSBIA's mandate is up for renewal this year, Douglas said Hellyar's firing doesn't signal trouble for the group.

"I think we have a dedicated, talented board and our stakeholders see that we all believe in the North Shore and we love the landscape," she said.

The NSBIA lost its previous general manager in November, 2012, when Peter Mutrie abruptly resigned at a board meeting.