Jim Mercer started out as a young man unsure about the big world around him. He had played high school football and threw discus competing for the best in Calgary, Alberta. High school came and went like it tends to do. Jim had to decide what he wanted to be, "when he grows up".

He decided to take a carpenter course at N.A.I.T (Northern Alberta Institute of Technology), a College-University in Edmonton. He started out as an apprentice, then in 1976 he became a journeyman. He worked for Lee Mac Construction in Edmonton as both an apprentice and a journeyman.

Jim and his girlfriend decided to move north closer to her family. They ended up in a small town called Wembly Alberta. There he decided to build his first house and consequently, as he was settling down, he decided to start his own business - Ebony Construction. His construction company built both in business and residential areas. He also began branching out into gardening and landscaping. He had his Construction company from 1979-1991.

In this time he received a lot of training including Power Engineering, Building Operation A. Boilers and Pressure Vessels certificate of competency, he was authorized to have charge of and operate any heating plant. He has basic concrete and related field practice. He also has principals of quality, strength and add mixtures for concrete, Explosive Actuated Tools- W.C.B. received from N.A.I.T, he completed Facility Evaluation seminar- evaluating government buildings for status and safety. He took a turf maintenance program at Malaspina University College the course included irrigation turf science and small motor maintenance, repairs and hydraulics.

The certificates that Jim has are Pesticide Applicators License, WHIMS, Industrial First Aid, Transition to Technology-Polaris Learning. His work experience other than that of the construction includes working as a counselor for the Town of Beaverlodge and a board member of the Amisk Lodge Senior Citizens Home. He was the Chairman of the Airport Commission, board member of the Protective Service Committee for the Town of Beaverlodge. He also has a keen interest in many continuing education courses in a variety of fields.

Jim and his new family moved to the next town over. The same town that was home to his wife's family. It is called Beaverlodge. His wife is a nurse and got a job at the hospital. He also got a job at the hospital as a maintenance man. Truly, he was more than just a maintenance man, he was also doing all the aforementioned and running his business. He did all of this until 1991 when he and his wife decided to move not just to the next town, but the next province. He and his small family moved to Duncan B.C. His wife got a job at the hospital again, the kids enrolled into school and he began working with a man named Dennis Cage, a relative of his wife. They became partners in Dennis's company Island In Ground Irrigation Systems. They worked together for a few years until Jim grew tired of doing irrigation. Jim gave his entire company back to Dennis and decided to pursue a different interest.

Jim always had an interest in water and water treatment systems. He explored this a bit in Beaverlodge, but he really wanted to make a go of it. So he called his old friend up who happen to have the same name, and he was also interested in it so, they were off. They found a company Nelson Environmental who were doing the same type of water purification and they joined in. Jim went all over the United States including Las Vegas where they helped to turn a pond that was filled with the equivalent of battery acid into a pond habitable for fish. This fascinated Jim, he ended up going to Mexico purifying the ponds of a salsa plant El Salsa. He was there for a few months then came back with a new appreciation for Canada.

Inevitably, work that called Jim away from home got a little old, and a little tiring, so he turned a full circle and went back to his old love, construction. This is a love that followed him around and now his is doing what he knows and what he enjoys.