Party on, CDN

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Barbecue, bongos and basmati will fill the air near the Plamondon metro this Sunday from 1- 5 p.m. as Project Genesis, a grassroots community group operating out of a storefront on Victoria, hosts a bash to celebrate Cote-des-Neiges' multi-ethnic character.

The Millennium Party will be bankrolled by a grant from the City of Montreal for Project Genesis' Building Links program, which seeks to strengthen ties and empower the area's many different cultural groups. Over 20 different communities will participate in the celebration, serving up traditional entertainment as well as a buffet with ethnic food. There'll also be the more familiar barbecue fare.

According to organizer Hélène Jones, Project Genesis is committed to making CDN a comfortable and safe place for the entire community. One issue was park safety. "We worked to improve park security in all of Montreal, and to put pressure on the city to improve safety in public spaces," says Jones.

Their efforts resulted in 100 community youths being hired to patrol Montreal parks. The Millennium Party takes place at Parc Van Horne, opposite the Plamondon metro station. In case of rain, it will move indoors to the Centre Sportif Cote-des-Neiges, just down the street. For more information, call Project Genesis at 738-2036.

--Michael Citrome

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