Meritorious Service Medal

• Awarded on: March 18, 2020
• Invested on: June 14, 2023

James Mercer, M.S.M.
Stephenville Crossing, Newfoundland and Labrador

James Mercer has been instrumental in preserving the folk music traditions that are an integral part of Newfoundland’s heritage. In the west coast area of Bay St. George, he started teaching sessions in schools and in the community where musicians of all abilities could share their love of traditional music. Thanks to his leadership, the sounds of the accordion, the fiddle, the bodhran and the pennywhistle convey a resurgence of local culture that crosses generational divides.