A Sheep Named Lamborghini: the 2024 4H Spring Show in Smithers, BC

Christine Bruce, Smithers, B.C.

A quiet parcel of land just outside Smithers, BC—used by creeks to trickle across to the Bulkley River and scores of wild animals as a corridor to the mountains—becomes mayhem every spring when the 4H Spring Show invites children to learn about animal husbandry and to improve their communication skills. These sounds were collected in May, 2024 at the annual event. CICK broadcaster Christine Bruce spoke with a variety of adults and youth. A steer named Franklin and a couple of chatty lambs called Cheeky and Lamborghini also offered opinions.

Born on the Manitoulin Island of Anishnaabe and French-Canadian blood, Christine Bruce is a published author and radio broadcaster, as well as a technical writer, all of which makes her a professional listener. She’s lived and worked in lots of big cities, including Toronto, Jakarta, Tehuacán, and Istanbul, but now calls Smithers—a remote, small town in northern BC—her home. Christine currently broadcasts out of CICK 93.9FM, the only community radio station in Canada that airs out of a CN train car.