Portage Collegiate Institute (PCI) has installed updated exterior signs reflecting its dual English-French immersion programming, says Principal Lawrence McKenzie. The Prince Charles building now features bilingual identifiers to emphasize the school’s role as one of Manitoba’s few dual-track high schools.
Student advocacy drives signage update
McKenzie notes that French immersion students raised concerns about the lack of French language representation on school signage during a 2022 presentation to the Portage la Prairie School Division board.
"Our Grade 12 class did the presentation to the board about getting some French in our name," he says. "The existing signs we had were definitely needing some TLC, and adding the French language just spruces the school up."
Local company Pro Image installed the new signs Monday, with English and French text identifying both PCI and the Prince Charles building. The school’s official name remains unchanged, but the update aims to boost visibility for its French immersion programming.
A legacy of dual-language education
PCI has operated as a dual-track institution since the 2006 amalgamation of Portage Collegiate and Arthur Meighen High School, though this wasn’t formally reflected in its branding until now.
"We’ve always been a dual-track school offering instruction in both languages, but a lot of people didn’t realize that," McKenzie adds.
The new signs address this gap while maintaining the historic “Prince Charles building” designation.
No immediate plans exist to update signage on PCI’s second building. The $15,000 project used division funds allocated after the student presentation, with McKenzie calling it “a long-overdue nod to our immersion community.”