Dinner with a friend

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When Tracy Dorion launched Chez Mes Amis she didn't even have a kitchen sink. Now, as their fourth anniversary approaches, she's proud they all managed to keep the community restaurant going all this time.

"We've survived on a wing and a prayer," she says. "When we've had struggles, the right people just seem to come along."

The restaurant at Sherbrooke and Royal in NDG sits up to 50 patrons each meal, serving simple, nourishing fare for only $2 a plate. And in doing so it provides a meeting place where low-income people--including those with psychiatric problems--can break their social isolation. "People feel part of a community and then they can contribute and feel responsible," says spokesperson Rob Bull.

Help for the project has come from businesses, other community groups, the government, local churches, and many volunteers.

To mark their fourth year, Chez Mes Amis will be organizing its "celebration of appreciation" on Saturday, May 6. Among those chipping in are CKOI radio, musical acts, clowns and face-painters, the police and fire departments and even a few members of the Habs.

The party will be at Place Guy-Viau, a park located at Royal and Sherbrooke W., from noon to 6 p.m. :

--Wayne Hiltz

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