Informer

cS Capilano
= College

ost people at Capilano College

know Bill McCallion as a
friendly face from Facilities. Like
many of the Maintenance employees,
the mild-mannered electrician is well-
liked and always available to lend a
helping hand. What most people don’t
know about Bill is that he leads a
double life. One that is intricately
woven with a breed of animal
considered to be among the smartest on
the planet.

When he’s not up on a ladder or
winding wires in the walls of the North
Vancouver campus, Bill can be found
on his 25-acre hobby farm in Maple
Ridge with his wife Wendy, one of his
four daughters, five cats, 25 sheep, 30
lambs, 20 ducks and one very smart
hard working border collie named
Mac. Mac is a five and a half-year-old
black and white sheep dog who helps
Bill keep his woolly flock in line.

“They are rated the most intelligent
dog in the world,” Bill says. “They
have been bred to work and therefore
they have an inherent need to work.”

Bill knows these dogs well. He has
participated in about 30 sheep dog
trials in the last 12 years and is
presently organizing a two-day event
that will bring a world-class judge and
several international sheep dog
competitors to Sea Bird Island in
Agassiz later this summer.

“Tt’s equivalent to a national trial in
Britain,” Bill says, drawing the difficult
course on a sheet of paper. “This is an
opportunity for people within the
Lower Mainland to see top calibre
dogs. It will also give their handlers a
chance to compete at a great location.”

Judging the event will be John
Templeton, a world-renowned dog
handler from Ayrshire, Scotland. “A lot
of handlers are coming because of
him,” Bill says. “They know that his
critiques are correct and they respect
him. The British government sends him
all over the world to judge sheep dog
trials.”

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Bill and his wife Wendy are pictured here
with the four original dogs that got them
interested in sheep farming. They are,
from left: Sheba, Jean, Scott and Kip.
(Photo by Gerry Blitstein.)

Bill says that you have to know
how these animals think to be a good
judge. “I’ve heard top American
handler, Ralph Pulford, describe
John as half sheep and half dog,” he
adds with a smile.

Forty participants will be judged
on a national herding course that
many of us with so-called “higher
intelligence” would find difficult to
negotiate at the best of times! The
dogs have to gather a group of these
obstinate creatures located about 400
yards away and guide them through
an obstacle course with a series of
paddocks, gates and corrals. They
will be judged on keeping the sheep
calm and in straight lines. They are
also marked on their ability to
respond quickly and accurately to
commands.

“Tt takes about two years to train
one of these dogs,” Bill says, adding,

The Double Life of a Campus Electrician
Bill McCallion Holds Court in Agassiz

“the average age of the canine
participants will be about five or six.”

This will be an excellent
opportunity for a unique family
outing in the country. The event will
take place on Saturday, September 30
and Sunday, October 1 and will last
from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. There
will be a minimum admission charge
and some seating and food will be
available. Bill expects approximately
two thousand spectators, so you might
want to bring your own chair and
pack a picnic.

“The competition is a collaborative
effort with the progressive Sea Bird
Indian Band,” says event volunteer
Judy Hafey, secretary at Capilano
College to the vice-president, Finance
and Bursar. “It will take place on the
Band’s ranch and will utilize some of
their 2,000 sheep.”

To get there, take the Trans-Canada
Highway to the Agassiz/Harrison
turnoff. Follow the No. 7 highway
towards Hope. The ranch is to the left
of the Sea Bird Island Truck Stop and
parking is just outside the gates.
Along with sheep, the Band also
raises cattle, hazelnuts and hay.
Allergy sufferers might want to
consider taking an all-day
antihistamine.

Top dogs will share about $2,000 in
prize money. Bill has been working to
raise funds for this event as the Band
receives all money from the gate.
Although IAM’s Dog Food has agreed
to be a sponsor, Bill still needs
resources to pay for the judge’s
transportation and accommodation,
prize money, facilities and set up. He
will be helped at the trials by a group
of volunteers that include Judy, who
has been promoting Bill along the
way.

“T would like to thank Judy
specifically for all her assistance,”
Bill says. “She has been a really big
help in raising funds and assisting
with organizing this event.” O

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