Renters do not blacklist tenants
We wish to address concerns raised in the article titled "Centralized application for renters in P.E.I. could lead to privacy concerns, tenant blacklist: advocate" (April 22) by Logan MacLean. We are disappointed that the notion of a tenant blacklist was mentioned without prior discussion with our association. A conversation could have helped clarify that we do not support nor facilitate any form of blacklisting.
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Our rental application was designed to simplify the housing search by connecting renters with multiple landlords through a single application. This initiative aims to streamline the often tedious process of applying for rental housing, accommodating the diverse needs of the community.
The Residential Rental Association of P.E.I. takes our responsibilities regarding privacy and data protection seriously. Our privacy statement, which all applicants acknowledge before submitting their information, clearly states that the data provided will only be shared with members of our association for the purposes of evaluating potential tenancy. This ensures that personal information is not used for any unauthorized purposes.
Recognizing the importance of personal discretion, our application has been updated to include a section where tenants can specify if there are any landlords with whom they do not wish to share information. This gives renters more control over who their information is shared with.
To further protect privacy, all information submitted through our application is automatically deleted from after 30 days. This policy is part of our commitment to data security and ensures that personal information is not held longer than necessary.
We encourage anyone that has concerns to reach out directly to our executive director at executivedirector@rrap.ca. This direct line of communication ensures that any issues can be addressed promptly and effectively.
We are open to feedback from all stakeholders, including advocacy groups such as P.E.I. Fight for Affordable Housing. Continuous dialogue helps us to refine our processes and adhere to the highest standards of privacy protection.
We hope this response clarifies the intentions behind and the safeguards embedded within our rental application system, dispelling any concerns related to a potential tenant blacklist.
June Ellis,
Executive director,
Residential Rental Association of P.E.I.
500 years of Acadie
Said to be born in Florence, Italy (circa 1485) and to have been killed around 1528 in the Caribbean by cannibals, Giovanni da Verrazzano, along with his youngest brother Gerolamo, gave the place-name Arcadia to an area referred to today as the Delmarva Peninsula (Delaware, Maryland and Virginia) because it reminded them of the beautiful trees of an area in ancient Greece still called Arkadia today.
Otherwise, in regards to the land they explored along the Atlantic coast of North America, Giovanni named it Nova Francesca or Nova Gallia meaning New France in honour of the French King, François Ier, who financed his undertakings like for Jacques Cartier 10 years later (1534). Four versions exist of a letter written by Verrazzano to the king on July 8, 1524, one of which is at the New York Pierpont Morgan Library proving his handwritten authorship. It explained that it was financed by King François with the mission of attaining Cathy (ancient name of China). For him it was an occasion for commerce and exploration. Looking back, this source explains that prior to 1524, Verrazzano and his brothers had discovered 600 leagues of new territory during a six-month period, one of the most important voyages of exploration in North America. Verrazzano had in fact joined what is now Canada to the rest of the continent. Verrazano was recognized by his peers comparable to earlier Amerigo Vespucci and Magellan.
The year 2024 marks the 500th anniversary of the 1524 toponymy (place-name) of ''Arcadia" by Giovanni Verrazzano. By the way, the Verrazano Narrows Bridge recalls the name of our explorer from Florence, Italy. Samuel de Champlain uniformized the actual French spelling leaving out the ''r" thus becoming Acadie, the land historically inhabited by the Acadians.
David Le Gallant,
Editor-in-chief,
Veritas Acadie
Urgent need of attention
I would like to support Bruno Marquis’ call (Moving towards bioplastic transition, April 25) for more attention to the problem of plastic recycling. It is a massive problem, and is only receiving the most inadequate attention from the world which is hell-bent on a fruitless effort to change the climate.
I, too, like the idea of bio-plastics, but I wonder if we could possibly produce them in the quantities necessary at competitive prices. The petro-chemical industry produces a huge volume of products. Just one example causes me to question the role of bio-plastics; how many animals would we need to kill to provide the leather to replace the vast amounts of vinyl upholstery used in cars and furniture?
It is a subject in urgent need of attention, and there is faint hope for that while the climate net-zero zealots hold sway over the public purse, wasting billions for no measurable benefit.
Peter Noakes,
Charlottetown, P.E.I.
