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The first priority for Ottawa’s 2017 celebrations is pretty basic, according to the National Capital Commission’s boss: let’s clean the place up.

“The capital needs to be picture-perfect for 2017,” NCC chief executive Mark Kristmanson told a Citizen editorial board meeting on Thursday.

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Everyone from the cities of Ottawa and Gatineau, to federal government departments (Public Works in particular) and even individual homeowners have to pick up their game in order to present a sparkling city to thousands of visitors expected to descend on the capital during Canada’s sesquicentennial year.

Kristmanson remembers visiting the capital as a seven-year-old for the centennial in 1967, and said his impression back then was that the city was “pristine.”

“And it doesn’t feel that way to me today,” he said. “I just think that for 2017, it’s not debatable.”

The NCC CEO also has more artistic concepts of how to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Confederation, including a previously discussed concept for illuminating the region at night — “the capital should be beautiful by day and by night,” he said — but nevertheless felt compelled to raise such a basic notion as neatness.