A northern Ontario man who recently wrapped up a cross-Canada canoe trip will visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Ottawa on Friday, where he'll lay a wreath made of branches and leaves from each province he paddled through on his journey.

The Royal Canadian Legion has invited Mike Ranta, 45, to lay the wreath during official Remembrance Day ceremonies.

Ranta paddled from Vancouver to Dominion, N.S. — along with his dog Spitzii — and dedicated the journey to Canada's veterans.

The seasoned paddler said he stopped at as many legions as he could along the way, where he listened to veterans' stories, thanked them for their service and asked them to sign his canoe.

Northwestern Ontario paddler Mike Ranta said he and his dog Spitzii encountered some frosty mornings on the last leg of their journey, but overall were blessed with unseasonably warm weather on the East Coast. (Alan Gauthier-Poelman)

"I took a piece of each province as I went across ... there's some willow in there, some birch, some grass, some reeds," said Ranta.

Ranta is not a veteran, but his brother served in Bosnia, and many of his close friends back home in Atikokan, Ont. are also veterans.

He kept the bits and pieces of Canada's great outdoors in a plastic container in his canoe during his 200 day journey, which wrapped up on Oct. 18.

The wreath is made from bits of twigs and branches that Mike Ranta gathered in every province he paddled through. (CBC News)

"I've got so many people in mind ... when I lay this there," said Ranta.

"It seems like every twig represents a little bit of something … it looks pretty rough, but you know, there's a lot of heart and soul, and love, and compassion."

Ranta's efforts are "very much appreciated," said Bruce Poulin, a veteran and official with the Royal Canadian Legion.

"My understanding is that everywhere he's been, veterans have come out and shook his hand and taken the time to express their appreciation for his efforts," said Poulin.

"There's going to be a lot of emotion that's for sure," said Ranta, speaking about Friday's ceremony.

"We did it for appreciation of our veterans, saying thanks to our men and women of our Armed Forces ... and I really wanted to say thank you to them."