Pubdate: Mon, 29 Sep 2008
Source: Montreal Gazette (CN QU)
Copyright: 2008 Canwest Publishing Inc.
Contact: http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/letters.html
Website: http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/274
Author: William Marsden
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)

IN N.D.G., THEY SAY 'NO, NO, NO'

Promoter Is Former Alcohol And Drug Addict; His Private Foundation 
Would Run Program

A proposed addiction rehab centre - to be run by a recovering addict 
who's under indictment on fraud charges and whose brother was shot in 
August in an attempted underworld hit - came under attack yesterday 
from neighbours who claimed the centre could attract more crime to the area.

About 80 residents of southside Notre Dame de Grace showed up at a 
public meeting at St. Raymond de Pennafort Church on St. Jacques St. 
complaining that the centre will worsen the serious drug and 
alcoholism problems in the neighbourhood.

"This is going to increase the risk to our children," one mother said.

Some residents also claimed the church was promoting the centre only 
because the project would solve its financial problems.

Centre promoter Rino Magi, 41, who told the audience he is a 
recovering alcoholic, cocaine and heroin addict and gambler, said he 
has agreed to pay the church $20,000 a year for the next five years 
to rent its meeting hall.

He is also promising to spend about $700,000 to renovate the church 
hall. In return, the parish has awarded him first right to buy the 
hall should the church decide to sell it.

The city has plans for redeveloping the area into residential housing.

Magi has been operating a soup kitchen for recovering alcoholics at 
the church for about a year.

"I've served about 10,000 meals in the last year," he said.

He also said he has been an addict since he was 17 and helping other 
addicts helps him stay clean.

This is one reason why he wants to create a permanent rehab centre. 
Another is that there are not enough rehab centres to meet the needs 
of addicts after they leave a detoxification centre, he said.

"They need help reinserting themselves back into the community and 
this is what this centre will do," he said.

The All Is Well centre plans to attract paying clients from all over 
the world for its 16-week rehabilitation course.

This angers many residents.

Ian MacDonald, 41, who has two children age 3 and 6, said he is 
afraid to allow his kids to play in the park because of the drug 
dealers and users.

"I grew up here and when I was a kid we always went to the park by 
ourselves, but I would never send my kids to the park by themselves," he said.

MacDonald, who manages a drug store, said the city should first clean 
up the drug problem in the neighbourhood before allowing the 
rehabilitation centre to open.

"I'm not against (the project)," he said. "But (drug use) is a 
problem you should solve first before you bring (the rehab centre) 
into the area."

He said it is common to see kids smoking marijuana on the streets and 
throwing beer bottles around.

Kristian Gravenor, who has four kids age 6 to 12, said, "I oppose 
this totally."

He said the church has tossed three non-profit groups out of its 
parish hall to make way for the rehab centre.

"The old groups were much beloved in this area," he said.

Pastor Andre Desroches told the meeting, "We are not doing this just 
to save the church but it is one of the ways to save the church."

The rehab centre will be run by a non-profit foundation called the 
All Is Well Foundation.

It will subcontract the profit-making part of the operation to a 
management company controlled by Magi.

"It will be like a private school," he said. He added that local 
residents in need of help can attend centre rehab courses for free.

Magi is an engineer and part of a family that has been involved in 
Montreal real estate development for years.

He faces possible extradition to the U.S. on charges he took part in 
a large-scale telemarketing scam targeting old people.

His older brother and former business partner Antonio, 48, was shot 
in August while driving his Range Rover. He went into a coma but has 
since recovered.

Police sources told The Gazette that Tony Magi had been protected by 
reputed Mafia boss Vito Rizzuto, who last year began serving 10 years 
in a U.S. prison for a gangland killing.

The Magi brothers were involved in several major residential 
developments in N.D.G. and on the waterfront in Old Montreal, which 
ran into financial problems.

Rino Magi said he is no longer connected with his brother or involved 
in any way in real estate development.

"I have put all of that behind me," he said.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom