In the past decade declining enrollment has claimed 10 schools in Huron County. Some of the schools have been demolished, while others have been saved and used for everything from offices to apartments, but no one is doing what the Barnim family is planning to do with an old school property near Goderich.
Members of the Barnim family are the proud owners of the former Colborne Central Elementary School near Benmiller.
Owner Brian Barnim says "This school here sat empty for two years and never had a broken window. So that tells you it was a very strong part of the community...We actually have a wedding booked for it right now and a buck and doe."
He and his family anticipate it staying a part of the community.
They've got visions of operating a privately-run community centre, available for everything from birthday parties to business meetings. A classroom has already been converted into private offices.
"It's a place people can come out of their house and do something. A lot of people now are moving into smaller homes and they need a place for family activities, and something like this, [for] a family Christmas, it's available here," he says.
But it's what's planned for the school grounds that's got people talking. Brian's daughter Caresse Barnim plans on building an indoor fish farm.
She's already got a contract with a supplier ready to take 350,000 live fish starting next spring.
Caresse says "This is very new to Ontario. Indoor recirculation systems don't really exist yet. There are a few but when people think of aquaculture they think of caged fishing and that's not at all what we're doing. It's all very contained."
The Barnim's are hopeful some early run-ins over zoning will not stop their plans and allow their community centre and fish farm to get off the ground.
Brian says "Many of these schools are not getting repurposed and they have been a big part of the community."
The Olde Colborne School is ready for rentals right now and the fish farm should be up and running by next May.
