Wearing his iconic birch bark hat and accompanied by his dog Spitzii, trans-Canadian canoeist Mike Ranta hauled his boat onto a Back Bay dock on Aug. 2 after a three-week journey from Fort McMurray.

The 47-year old made the trip to raise funds for Warrior Adventures Canada, an Ottawa-based charity that is committed to improving the lives of veterans and first responders with PTSD through therapeutic backwoods activities.

SA国际影视传媒淥ur veterans are an amazing group of people,SA国际影视传媒� said Ranta. SA国际影视传媒淓specially our World War Two men and women. They're getting up there in age and I really just wanted to say thank you for everything they've done and their sacrifices.SA国际影视传媒�

Spitzii, Ranta and his friend Steven O'Neill, a retired superior court judge, departed Fort McMurray on July 11. The trio began their journey on the Athabasca River before joining the Slave River at Fort Chipewyan.

SA国际影视传媒淗e's one tough old bird,SA国际影视传媒� said Ranta of O'Neill. SA国际影视传媒淲hen it comes to stroking that paddle he knows how to keep up with this old kid.SA国际影视传媒�

Ranta said they portaged the Rapids of the Drowned at Fort Smith during an SA国际影视传媒渋ncrediblySA国际影视传媒� hot day SA国际影视传媒� SA国际影视传媒淚've never seen horseflies that big,SA国际影视传媒� he said SA国际影视传媒� and were then put up by Fort Smith residents Leif and Natalie Anderson. After that, they paddled across Great Slave Lake to Yellowknife. The 1,500 kilometre journey took them 22 days.

SA国际影视传媒淕reat Slave paddling was just a dream,SA国际影视传媒� said Ranta. SA国际影视传媒淪cary lake though. Reminded me a lot of Lake Superior, just the way the winds would come up. I was always dropping my tobacco, that was a big thing, just to give that little bit of thanks and she gave me a pass in a lot of ways.SA国际影视传媒�

Ranta said he'll be canoeing from Yellowknife to Tuktoyaktuk next year.

SA国际影视传媒淕oing to Tuk next year to get to the third coast, that'll be a big sense of accomplishment for me,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚'm looking forward to seeing the First Nations communities along the Mackenzie River.SA国际影视传媒�

Now 11-years-old, Spitzii, a purebred Finnish Spitz, has gone deaf but still knows how to handle himself in the backwoods, said Ranta.

SA国际影视传媒淗e lost his hearing last fall,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚 noticed he was not listening a little more than usual. He's still an amazing asset in the bush. We've had a few bears come in on our trips and he still steps up to the plate.SA国际影视传媒�

Originally from Atikokan, Ontario, which bills itself as the SA国际影视传媒淐anoeing Capital of Canada,SA国际影视传媒� Ranta has been canoeing around the country to support worthy causes for a number of years.

In 2011, he paddled and portaged about 5,400 kilometres from Rocky Mountain House in Alberta to Montreal.

In 2014, he crossed the North American continent solo, by canoe, in seven months. Canoe and Kayak magazine recognized the accomplishment as the longest solo canoe expedition in a single season in history.

SA国际影视传媒淚t was quite the haul,SA国际影视传媒� said Ranta.

Then in 2016, Ranta repeated the feat when he portaged and paddled from Steveston, B.C. to Dominion Beach in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, to raise funds for his hometownSA国际影视传媒檚 youth centre. The 7,500 kilometre journey took him 200 days

SA国际影视传媒淭he people I've been meeting on my trips have been second to none,SA国际影视传媒� said Ranta. SA国际影视传媒淰ancouver to Cape Breton, we've got an amazing country and anyone who wants to get travelling the way I do, or any other way for that matter, should get out there and do it. We've got an amazing kindness and generosity and it's just beautiful.SA国际影视传媒�