100-year-old WWII veteran who hoped for 100 cards for his birthday receives over 1,700
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On the eve of his centennial, Gaston Pettigrew was greeted with applause as he walked into the dining hall of the Maison Paul-Triquet home in Quebec City.
Wearing his Royal Canadian Navy uniform, he beamed as he sat among family, residents and staff, with a wooden box filled to the brim with birthday cards before him.
The well wishes came in from around the world after a community group dedicated to military history posted a special request for the WWII veteran.
Pettigrew wanted 100 cards in time for his 100th birthday on April 11. In just a matter of weeks, he received more than 1,700.
Pettigrew was just 18 years old when he enlisted in April 1943. He soon became a seaman on HMS Ettrick, a ship that served as a convoy escort in the Battle of the Atlantic.
He made 11 crossings between North America and Europe, Although his ship was never attacked during these missions, Pettigrew recalls tough conditions aboard the vessel, which carried around 100 sailors.
Jordan Proust originally posted Pettigrew's story and birthday wish on his Passionmilitaria Facebook page — which garnered hundreds of likes and reactions from around the world.
On Thursday, the local health authority said Pettigrew's residence expects to reach as many as 2,000 cards in the coming days.
'Thanks to them, we're French today'
Myriam Marty, who lives in Toulouse in southern France, sent a card to Pettigrew after seeing his request on her Facebook feed.
"We don't really realize what they went through and I think it's our duty today to say thank you," said Marty.
"I've always had a very deep respect for these people," she said, adding "thanks to them, we're French today."
She says the number of cards pouring in just proves that in a world often focused on individualism, people still enjoy coming together to honour those who have sacrificed.
To mark his birthday on Friday, Pettigrew will take part in an activity with members of the Navy at the Quebec Garrison Club.
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Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
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Canada Standard
2 days ago
- Canada Standard
D-day veterans return to Normandy 81 years later to honor freedom
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Toronto Sun
3 days ago
- Toronto Sun
'Can't stop': Researchers say problematic smartphone use like an addiction
Published Jun 08, 2025 • 3 minute read In this photo illustration the app for Meta (formerly the Facebook company) is seen on a cellphone in Los Angeles, Calif., on Feb. 7, 2025. Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN / AFP via Getty Images EDMONTON — Anita Hagh couldn't stop pressing the corner of her phone screen where the Facebook app used to be. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account It was about five years ago, and she had deleted the social media platform from her cellphone. It was like muscle memory, she says, having clicked on the app countless times so she could scroll for hours through random online groups. She realized she had been losing out on sleep while scrolling and made the difficult decision to delete the app. 'After deleting it, I was very much thinking it was still there, kind of like a phantom limb situation,' said the 28-year-old post-doctoral researcher at McGill University's department of integrated studies in education. Hagh, who is researching the addictive nature of social media, said she believes she was likely experiencing what's called 'problematic smartphone use' or phone addiction. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Jay Olson, a post-doctoral researcher in the University of Toronto's psychology department, led a 2023 global study that surveyed more than 50,000 people about their smartphone habits. He said it's an emerging problem. 'Normal smartphone use would become problematic when it starts negatively affecting your daily life and in different ways,' said Olson. 'It might make you feel depressed. It might be interfering with your sleep or your concentration.' Some young adults are showing symptoms of problematic smartphone use, Olson said, as they've never seen a world without phones or have spent most of their lives with the devices. 'Smartphones started to become more popular around 2009,' he said. 'A bunch of kids across the world got these phones. And so now we're starting to see what some of these effects might be.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. It's harder for older generations to understand the magnitude of the problem and how using phones can become an ingrained habit, Olson added. '(They) haven't grown up using smartphones and social media for the majority of their free time throughout the day,' he said. Venture Academy, a private school for troubled teens with locations in Barrie, Ont., and Red Deer, Alta., offers treatment for problems including 'electronic addiction.' Gary Su, a clinical therapist with the school, said in an interview from Calgary that smartphone use has made the lives of many of his young clients more complex. 'We are seeing a very unique phenomenon,' he said. 'Things seem to be a lot more volatile or more extreme. Kids are exposed to things just way too early for their age. And it's harder to trace, because everything online is anonymous.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. He said some students are using their phones so much they have difficulty socializing. Some don't leave their bedrooms for hours, because they're busy texting after school, he said. Su said phones stop others from spending time with their families, and online bullying has become rampant. Some are also sharing intimate photos and details at an earlier age, which continues to haunt them years later due to the permanent nature of the online world, he said. 'I see a lot of family just come in because of phone addiction or problematic phone use,' Su said. 'I feel for the parents. Most of us are not tech geniuses.' Problematic smartphone use hasn't been officially classified as an addiction in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the reference book used by mental health professionals around the world. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'There isn't consensus among researchers right now,' said Olson, adding it's because the problem is so new. However, he said there is some agreement that problematic smartphone use shares similarities with different behavioural addictions. 'So often people report this compulsion, like when they wake up, they have to check their phone right away,' Olson said. 'They can't stop themselves.' Su said some of his patients could be classified as phone addicts. 'Addiction is when you are doing something that you know has negative consequences and you can't stop yourself from using it,' he said. 'I see a lot of youth I work with fit in that category. I tend to not label it, because labelling is not doing any good.' Olson said there needs to be more discussion about smartphone habits. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Cellphone bans in schools across Canada are a good start, Olson added, but more needs to be done by governments, such as putting age limits on social media platforms. 'I certainly think that it's an important contributor to this decline in mental health that we're seeing,' he said. Hagh said she's keeping track of her phone habits, as she's still on social media for her research. 'It is very addicting. These platforms have been optimized to capture as much attention … and arguably create an addiction. 'It's kind of like having to watch a train crash or a car crash,' she added. 'You just can't look away.' Sports Sunshine Girls Sunshine Girls Columnists World
