"80, ruelle de l'Avenir" - The community inspires the children of Centre-Sud and

"This initiative, unique in Québec, rallies people from the businessworld and the local community around a project that aims to inspire childrento dream. We want to make "80, ruelle de l'Avenir" a special, custom-designedplace, accessible year-round, where young people can give free rein to theircreativity as well as invent themselves," explained Sophie Brochu, ChiefExecutive Officer of Gaz Métro, an important partner in the project.

In concrete terms, "80, ruelle de l'Avenir" consists of converting anannex of Garneau school into six thematic workshops, including akitchen/laboratory, a botanical room, a multimedia centre, a science workshop,a dance studio and a lounge. The workshops will be located on each site of acentral corridor, designed as a ruelle.

A "Place de l'Avenir" will be created on the roof and will welcomechildren and their parents into a garden with plants, flowers and culinaryherbs. The school gym will be totally renovated to accommodate new physicaland sports activities for young people, as well as events of a cultural orartistic nature. The project also envisages renovating and "greening" theschoolyard to make it suitable for recreation and family get-togethers.

The project's originator is Projet 80, a community organization that hasbeen working with young people from the Centre-Sud and Hochelaga-Maisonneuvedistricts for 30 years in a fight against school dropout. "We supply hundredsof meals every day to young people from the neighbourhood, realizing that itis much easier to learn with a full tummy. Once that is done, we need to offerthem the tools that will help them fulfill their potential and find their wayin life. Ruelle de l'Avenir is the way out of the impasse," added DanielPaquin, General Manager of Projet 80.

This ambitious project could not have got off the ground without theclose collaboration of the Commission scolaire de Montréal (CSDM) and Garneauelementary school. From the outset, these institutions have participated inevery step in the design of the project. Their openness and support haveenabled the project to grow in scale to what it is today, while leaving a keyrole to be played by partners from the district.

"As a result of wonderful collaboration between the CDSM and severalpartners from the neighbourhood, "80, ruelle de l'Avenir" will create astimulating learning environment for our students, who will have theopportunity to take full advantage it all. Everything will be done to arousetheir imagination and encourage their success, in a spirit of cooperation andsustainable development. These values fit perfectly with those of our schoolboard," underscored Diane de Courcy, Chair of the CDSM.

Several partners have already agreed to support the project byvolunteering their expertise, along with human and material resources. Inparticular, we note the commitment of the following organizations:

       - Académie culinaire (workshop)       - Avantages services financiers (financing)       - BMO (financing)       - Construction Marathon (construction)       - Construction Albert Jean (construction)       - Dr. Julien and his team (programs)       - Groupe Chagnon (construction)       - G Société Conseil (consultant)       - HKDP (event organization)       - Jean Beaulieu, Artiste-verrier (workshop)       - Nolin Branding & Design (graphism)       - NFOE (plans for the schoolyard)       - Olymel (programs)       - Osler (consultant)       - Rayside Architecte (plans)       - Restaurant Au Petit Extra (workshop)       - Sentier urbain (workshop)       - SNC-Lavalin (construction)       - Société Radio-Canada (materials and workshop)    

    Project Information:        /NOTE TO PHOTO EDITORS: A photo accompanying this release is available on    the CNW Photo Network and archived at .    Additional archived images are also available on the CNW Photo Archive    website at http://photos.newswire.ca. Images are free to accredited    members of the media/

For further information

Andrée-Anne Pelletier, HKDP Communications andPublic Affairs, (514) 395-0375, ext.231, (514) 248-7844,.ca
Sources: Frédéric Krikorian, Gaz Métro, (514)598-3449
Michel Trottier, CSDM, (514) 596-6000 (number sign)6768
Daniel Paquin, Projet80, (514) 525-4233