Suicide-awareness activist found dead

Richard Lavoie, seen here with the caravan he pulled in an image from his Linked In page.

Richard Lavoie, 57, known for his devotion to raising suicide awareness, has been found dead near the 300-pound caravan he pulled with while touring the province.

Lavoie's body was found Wednesday afternoon on the roadside of Barrage Road in St. Joseph de Coleraine in the Chaudiere-Applaches region of Quebec.

Lavoie was attempting to walk 1,600 kilometers over three months in an effort to raise awareness about the high rate of suicide in the province. He was planning to get to Riviere-du-Loup and then onto the Lac St. Jean region.

He is believed to have died of a heart attack.

-With a file from The Canadian Press