MONTREAL | FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2006 | montrealgazette.com

M O N T R E A L | F R I DAY, AU G U ST 1 8, 2 0 0 6 |
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| S I N C E 1 7 78 | F I R ST E D I T I O N
THE ILLUSIONIST:SUPERNATURAL MYSTERY EXPLORES DARK ARTS IN TURN-OF-THE-CENTURY VIENNA, D1
PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
Riley and Glover share first-round lead
SPORTS, C1
JONBENET MYSTERY
Killing far from solved as teacher’s
confession raises questions, A3
M O N T R E A L | F R I DAY, AU G U ST 1 8, 2 0 0 6 |
A MESSAGE FROM
THE PUBLISHER
m o n t re a l g a z e t t e .co m
| S I N C E 1 7 78 | F I R ST E D I T I O N
NO FAIRY-TALE ENDING
It’s easy to take words for granted. But
take them away, and our thoughts lose
their voice, our ideas their force. When we
read, “I have a dream” or “Give peace a
chance” or “Fuddle duddle,” we connect
not only with the meaning of the words,
but their context, as well. Whether written
by famous leaders throughout history or
by reporters covering city hall, words leave
their mark.
“Words matter” is the Gazette’s new signature
slogan. Our special front page today is designed to
demonstrate the importance of the written word.
You’ll find more examples of why words matter in
advertising messages in the paper and in other
media in the weeks to come.
At The Gazette we obviously care deeply about
words. We use them to report on the world, the
country, the province, the city and your neighbourhood in a way that is meaningful to you, our reader.
We hope those words help you to form your own
opinion, make a decision or take action.
In the coming months, both on paper and on our
website, we’ll offer a number of special series on
topics that matter to our community and to our
personal lives. Early in September we’ll look at how
the city determines how much your house is worth.
The first new valuation roll in three years will be
coming out in less than a month, and this report will
explain how the city comes up with what could be
shockingly high valuations for home owners.
In later series, we’ll delve into why so many of us
can’t get a good night’s sleep. We’ll take an in-depth
look at commuting around Montreal. And we’ll
analyze the changing demographics and values in
our society.
When the hockey season starts, sports fans can
look forward to a special series by Red Fisher. In
November, we’ll devote space in the newspaper and
on montrealgazette.com to explore why Montreal is
a centre of the gaming industry.
Because we believe that words matter, The Gazette
is actively involved in community programs that
nurture the love of reading. This weekend, we are
sponsoring a reading tent at the Fête des enfants at
Maisonneuve Park. In September, watch for the
Raise-a-Reader fundraiser for children’s literacy,
and for the opportunity for schools to register for
another exciting year of CanSpell. The popular
Books and Breakfast events will also be back this fall
for adult fans of good books.
We’ll give you more details about these events and
special series soon. We hope you’ll continue to turn
to The Gazette for words that matter.
Alan Allnutt
RIZZUTO
TURFED
TO U.S.
APPEAL DENIED
Reputed crime boss
arraigned in Brooklyn
after swift extradition
PAUL CHERRY
GAZETTE CRIME REPORTER
PAUL CHIASSON CANADIAN PRESS
CLOCK STRIKES 12 FOR CINDERELLA Nineteen-year-old
Stéphanie Dubois of Laval saw her dream week come to an end with
yesterday’s loss to Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia, 6-3, 6-2, at the
Rogers Cup tennis tournament at Uniprix Stadium. Details, Page C1
Vito Rizzuto left Montreal yesterday, perhaps for the
last time.
After seeing the final hope in his fight against being extradited to the United States fall to pieces, the
reputed godfather of the Montreal Mafia was quickly
dashed off yesterday to New York, where he faces a
racketeering charge in connection with the 1981
killings of three men in Brooklyn.
Rizzuto, 60, had been fighting the extradition
request since his arrest in January 2004. The case
dragged through the courts until yesterday, when the
Supreme Court of Canada announced its decision to
not hear his appeal of previous decisions by Quebec
courts and the federal justice minister.
Shortly after the Supreme Court decision was made
public, Rizzuto was removed from the Rivière
des Prairies detention centre, where he was being
held, and was escorted by Montreal police officers to
Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport in
Dorval. An aircraft supplied by U.S. authorities was
already waiting for him, Montreal police Sgt. Ian
Lafrenière said.
Less than three hours later, Rizzuto’s name was
posted on a schedule to appear to be arraigned in
United States District Court in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Please see RIZZUTO, Page A3
At long last, Rizzuto faces justice: Editorial, Page A20
Publisher
Economics trump wildlife in federal policy paper
MIKE DE SOUZA
CANWEST NEWS SERVICE
OTTAWA – The Harper government
is quietly drifting away from
protecting endangered species that
are standing in the way of economic
expansion, a leaked federal document has revealed.
The draft policy document from
Environment Canada suggests
federal officials want to water down
the Species at Risk Act to allow
government regulators to factor in
“socio-economic” concerns when
they identify critical habitat areas
that require protection.
Such concerns include forestry,
oil sands exploration and residential construction. Environmentalists warn that the new proposal
could poison scientific evaluations
of what species need for survival.
“Basically they’re cutting corners
in the law inappropriately,” said
Stephen Hazell, acting executive director of the Sierra Club of Canada.
IN FOCUS
Boy’s mother charged
The mother of an 8-year-old boy
found dead in Lake Champlain
this week was charged with firstdegree murder yesterday. Page A7
9/11 detainee released
Of the estimated 1,200 mostly
Arab and Muslim men detained in
the U.S. after the 9/11 attacks, Ben
Benatta was locked up the longest.
Now, after five years, he has been
allowed to go to Canada. Page A12
No jail time for Gibson
Actor Mel Gibson pleaded no
contest yesterday to drunk driving
and was spared jail time in a deal
with prosecutors. Page D1
Details Page A6
WEATHER
“All my life I’ve looked at words as though
I were seeing them for the first time.” ERNEST HEMINGWAY
Mainly sunny
2
High 8° Low 19° Page B7
Annie’s Mailbox .E5 Nation . . . . . . . .A12
Best Bets . . . . .D13 Obituaries . . . .C7
Business . . . . . .B1 Opinion . . . . . . .A21
Classified . . . . .E1 Preview . . . . . .D1
Comics . . . . . . .B8 Puzzles Page . . .E6
Daily Poll . . . . . . A2 Sports . . . . . . . .C1
Editorials . . . . .A20 TV Listings . . . .D14
Movie Listings . .D2 World . . . . . . . .A16
Beyond metro
area: 96¢
Quebec City region: $1.13
Please see WILDLIFE, Page A2
Ottawa delays AIDS policy, Page A4
Two Montreal women were among thousands
of Canadians who got married abroad last
year and then had to go through a lengthy
process to convince immigration officials that
their love was real. Many months later, their
husbands are in Canada and their lives are
finally free of red tape and waiting.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
INDEX
74¢
“If we care as a nation about our
wildlife, we can’t allow that to
happen. If our only value is
ensuring good profits in the forest
industry, then we will lose the
woodland caribou in Alberta.”
TRUE LOVE WAITS