3 generations of Becky Barrie's family attended the same Ontario school. Now, it's her home

For the Barrie family, the Dickie Settlement Schoolhouse is a place of fond memories and long-lasting friendships. 

Becky Barrie attended the Cambridge, Ont., school in 1967 with her siblings. Her father and his siblings as well as her grandfather and his siblings also went there

"There's a lot of family history that goes way back to the early 1890s," Becky said during a CBC interview on Wednesday in her home. 

After the school closed in 1999 and went up for sale, she jumped at the opportunity to keep the property not only within the family, but the community. She moved into the school in November 1999.

Her father, Dave Barrie, initially questioned her decision to buy the building.

"I thought, 'Becky, what on Earth have you got in mind? Are you crazy? That school is old and everything's old in it," recalled Dave. 

After moving in, Becky said, the only items remaining were the chalkboards. 

During renos, pencils found in plumbing

While maintaining the original classrooms where Grades 1 to 8 were taught, she has since ripped up the tile flooring and replaced the windows. 

Almost 26 years later, Becky believes she has truly turned the schoolhouse into a home. Her father agrees.

"This is absolutely amazing. The atmosphere of the school is still here because the original room is what's so important — she's kept that," Dave said. 

Over the years, Becky also discovered some items from the years the schoolhouse operated. 

"Outside, I've found numerous ink wells and bits of pottery. In the plumbing, we found pencils shoved down there and a sock shoved down a sink," she said. 

"Going up into the attic, I have the ladder on display downstairs that went up to the bell tower."

Open house for former students

As a way to reconnect alumni while allowing them to see the updates she's made to the building, Becky held an open house on Wednesday, with dozens of former students and staff attending.

"It's kind of an honour that they would come back," Becky said. "I'm really hoping that students and staff who hadn't seen each other for years can make that connection again."

That was the case for Kate Cressman (nee Brown) and Robert Hanna. 

Cressman attended the school in 1952 when Hanna was the principal. He was also a teacher at just age 19.

"It's so wonderful meeting so many people that were kids in my class," Hanna said. "I've gone by this place many times and every time I'd go by, it reminds me so much of being outside playing with the kids at recesses and noon hours."

Cressman added, "The biggest thrill is to have that picture with our Grade 7 and 8 teacher. Honestly, that's incredible."

Becky's uncle George Barrie was also at the open house. At 94, he is the oldest living student from Dickie Settlement. 

"It's really fantastic to have such an occasion as this and so many people have turned out. I still see a few that were in my class but not many," George said.

A trip down memory lane

With so many alumni under the same roof for the first time in decades, many reminisced about some of their favourite memories at the school. 

Ron Sage, a student in 1976, remembered winning a trophy for the silver plate collection competition at the school fair. 

"It was an event that your parents helped you and you learned a lot. [School fairs] brought families together," said Sage. "I still have that silver tray."

George Barrie recalled how much fun he would have during recess. 

"In the winter, we would build forts and throw snowballs, and in the summer we played football."

Becky's father has fond memories of the different ways he would get to the school.

"There was no road directly to our place, it was across the fields," David said. "We walked through farmers' fields, fields of turkeys, sugar bush, and in the winter we had lots of snow, so I would ski or snowshoe."