L'habitant Voyageur, Louis Mercier, comes originally from Maniwaki, a town 120 miles north of Ottawa. He grew up with a strong interest in his communities' folkloric traditions and when he studied recreation at the Ottawa University he combined his cultural interests with outdoor education activities. He is also qualified as a teacher.

He began his performing career with the ensemble Les Outaouais , a dynamic French Canadian folklore group. Since 1988 he has been performing by himself in the region and at festivals across the country, including Winterlude and Le Festival du Voyageur in Winnipeg. He has worked with the National Capital Commission, the Museum of Civilization and extensively in schools, hospitals, old peoples homes and other community venues.

Louis' performances include stories, songs and percussion. His instruments are his own hands and feet, spoons, bones, a much loved lumberjack puppet, the washboard and whatever else comes easily to hand. Everything he does involves his audience and there is always humour and fun. He gathers his material from books and records but most importantly he listens to the old people as they sing their songs and tell their stories. His performances tells us about our past; how it is alive in the present and how it will mark our future.