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As an eventful year in Ottawa comes to an end, there are many reasons to celebrate. During the 150th anniversary of Confederation, the capital has played host to a series of highly successful events, including La Machine, the Juno Awards and the Grey Cup game. And the outdoor NHL game is still to come.

We don’t have the final numbers yet, but there’s no question the tourism industry saw a significant economic impact as millions of tourists visited Ottawa during this special year.

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But any critical review of Ottawa’s 2017 efforts should do more than just cite statistics and anecdotal evidence that suggests the mission was accomplished. We should also consider what we could have done better and what would have had a more lasting impact on the local economy.

One obvious disappointment about 2017 was the poorly planned and disastrously executed Parliament Hill security on Canada Day, which soured the experience for many visitors. Also, promises that downtown construction, including light rail work, would be out of the way in time for our big year, proved impossible to keep. With road closures and cranes throughout downtown, the city did not look its best.