Longtime Winnipeg Harvest volunteer Dave Mouland mourned

A longtime Winnipeg Harvest volunteer is being remembered as a tireless advocate for low-income people living in the city.

Dave Mouland, 67, died on Saturday, according toDonald Benham,manager of hunger and poverty awareness at Winnipeg Harvest.

Mouland volunteered at Harvest for the last seven years in the organization's call centre, but also made a big impact atcity hall, speaking to council in a relentless pursuit of justice for the poor, Benhamsaid.

"He really made an impact," he said.

Benham recalled a time when Mouland fought the city against a proposed 20-cent Winnipeg Transit fare hike, which he argued would have a profound impact on low-income people in the city.

After Mouland teamedup with other poverty advocates and students, the city relented and pulled the plug on the hike, Benham said.

"Dave was a champion of all those issues," he said.

Even a heart attack didn't slow Mouland down. In fact, it sparked another fight for reform.

Mouland suffered the heart attack in the Winnipeg Harvest call centre a few years ago. Staff were going to call an ambulance but he stopped them because he couldn't afford the cost, Benham said.

The ordeal led Mouland to advocate for affordable ambulance fees for low-income Manitobans and triggered a political discussion about high ambulance fees in the recent Manitoba election.

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