Port Arthur Collegiate Institute (PACI) building
Quick Facts
Year Built: 1909
Architect: Henry Simpson
Building Contractor: George Otto
Construction Material: Simpson Island Sandstone
Designated as a Historic Building: May 25, 1983
Years Operated as a Public School: September 6, 1910 to June 2007
- Alterations were made to the main building to add classrooms in both 1923 and in 1954.
- Taking advantage of its high location, a harbour lookout shelter was built adjacent to the school.
- To commemorate former students killed during both World Wars, memorial plaques and photographs were installed in the entrance area of the main floor hall-way. The plaques and photos are a part of the historical designation of the building and will remain in place.
- In 1972, a gymnasium was built into the hill, though it was "ill-received" due to its lack of architectural connection to the main building.
- The high school was closed in June 2007 due to declining enrollments and the building was purchased by Lakehead University in 2008.
- Currently, the building is undergoing internal renovations to transform it from a high school to a law school. The architect is FORM Architecture and the contractor is DRD Construction Services.