CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Robert Mercer’s life could have been very different.
He was born with very low vision and, as a youngster, struggled in school. But through the intervention of a caring teacher and the support of his family, he found his way to the Halifax School for the Blind and into the classroom of Mrs. Beaton.
Mercer will launch his new book “Mrs. Beaton’s Question: My Nine Years at the Halifax School for the Blind” at Indigo Charlottetown on Oct. 26 from 1 to 3 p.m.
At Halifax School for the Blind, Mercer discovered his voice - a voice he now uses to recount his remarkable journey from a shy little boy to a community leader.
Upon graduation and a bachelor’s degree from St. Mary’s University, he joined the staff of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB).
At the age of thirty, he was appointed National President and CEO for the Institute, responsible for the work of three thousand staff and a hundred thousand volunteers, coast to coast.
In a second career, Robert worked for 25 years in the federal public service, retiring as Assistant Deputy Minister at Veterans Affairs Canada in Charlottetown. He now enjoys writing books, mostly fiction for children and adults.