While it might have been in negotiations before, it’s confirmed that Rick Mercer will be in Niagara Falls hosting the New Year’s Eve show, which will be aired live on CBC.

We caught up with Mercer for a quick phone chat Friday, before he started filming this week’s live segment of the Rick Mercer Report.

He said the the New Year’s Eve broadcast will “bounce around all over the country, but the main stage will be in Niagara Falls.”

Mercer said he’s “always had a good time in the Falls.”

“I’ve played there many times of course, at conferences and such like that, and we’ve shot there over the years a couple of times,” said Mercer, who was in the Falls recently shooting a segment for his show during the opening ceremonies of the Winter Festival of Lights.

Coincidentally, he was airing that segment the night we talked.

He said it’s an “all weather episode,” with scenes filmed in St. John’s Newfoundland and the Falls.

“We knew we were going to be up for a challenge … we were looking at the weather and we saw that weather system coming towards (the Falls).”

“We had to make the decision and we thought, you know what, I bet they’re gonna go rain or shine, so we went.”

He said it was challenging but it turned out to be a “really fun piece.”

“I think everyone has had to put up lights in the rain before, and everyone has had to deal with bad weather before.”

Mercer said he’s wanted to do the Winter Festival of Lights for a couple of years now, it just didn’t happen before because of scheduling. He said this year being the last year of his show, he really wanted to do it.

As for after his show finishes its final season, he said “I have big plans, I just don’t know what they are yet.”

The WFOL segment airs Dec. 5. on CBC.