Event History
Paul Mercs Concerts has been involved in some of Canada’s biggest events, attracting national attention and widespread acclaim. Some of the major highlights are listed below.
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EXPO 86
In 1986, Vancouver captured the world’s imagination with the opening of Expo 86, the World’s Fair. Countries from around the world showed their national pride with fantastic exhibits and pavilions. Paul Mercs was the producer for the Expo Theatre, which hosted more than 135 performances in five months. Featured artists included Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, Van Morrison, Liberace, George Burns, Eurythmics, and Baryshnikov.
Music ’91: British Columbia’s Year of Music
A tourism marketing initiative, Music ’91 was a year of song for the province of British Columbia. As part of the initiative, Paul Mercs produced a series of events including a sixty-concert road show, community showcases, and the Canadian music industry’s 1991 Juno Awards. From grand opera to the Grand Ole Opry, blues to bluegrass, and rock ’n’ roll to ragtime, Music ’91 offered something for everyone in celebration of beautiful British Columbia.
Hudson Bay Company’s 325th Anniversary Celebration: Big Sky, Canada’s Concert (1995)
Big Sky, Canada’s Concert, was an outdoor music festival held in High River, Alberta to celebrate the Hudson’s Bay Company’s 325th anniversary. Big Sky featured twenty high-profile Canadian artists on the Main Stage, including Bryan Adams, Anne Murray, Celine Dion, Tom Cochrane, The Rankin Family, Sarah McLachlan, Rita MacNeil, Michelle Wright, and Susan Aglukark. Canada’s up-and-coming talent was featured on the New Music Stage, while Fred Penner headlined the Children’s Stage. The event was promoted nationwide and televised on Canada’s MuchMusic channel.
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Rick Hansen: A Celebration (1997)
On October 5, 1997, Canadians celebrated the 10th anniversary of Rick Hansen’s Man in Motion World Tour with an event at Vancouver's Chan Centre for the Performing Arts. Produced by Paul Mercs and broadcast live on CBC Television, the event’s special guests included Ashley MacIsaac, Wesley Chu, Rita MacNeil, and Roch Voisine with Amy Sky. David Foster and John Parr performed their collaboration “St. Elmo’s Fire (Man in Motion)”, which was inspired by Hansen and became the theme for his tour.
West Coast Music Awards (1998 and 1999)
Produced by Paul Mercs at Vancouver’s Plaza of Nations in 1998 and at the Commodore Ballroom in 1999, the West Coast Music Awards celebrate the efforts and achievements of the talented artists of Canada’s West Coast. Hosted by Colin James in 1998 and by Bill Henderson in 1999, the event was broadcast live both years on CBC Television.