Strangers across Canada step up after Manitoba boy's hockey card collection was stolen

A Manitoba boy is saying thank you to all the people who have helped him rebuild his hockey card collection after his original collection was stolen.

Seven-year-old Wynston Martin from Opaskwayak Cree Nation, said he was being bullied while waiting for the bus earlier this month and his collection was stolen.

His grandmother, Carleen Denell Fosseneuve, posted about the incident on social media last week and asked if anyone could donate some of their cards to help rebuild Wynston's collection.

"We were all pretty upset. Seeing him upset like that, I guess anybody would relate, have empathy for their child and their grandchild being bullied like that. The intention was to just try to make him feel better," said Fosseneuve.

She said the response to her post was immediate.

"We had some kids up in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, they were collecting cards for Wynston. We had messages from Vancouver. Some messages from the States in Chicago," said Fosseneuve.

His family and friends have also been collecting cards in hopes of giving them to him for his birthday, but this incident meant he got to have them much sooner.

Fosseneuve said some cards have already started to arrive in the mail and his collection is once again growing.

Wynston said the support has made him really happy and he thanked everyone for sending cards.

On top of getting new cards, Wynston and his family are in Winnipeg to go to the Jets game Monday, as his favourite team, the St. Louis Blues are in town.

-with files from CTV News' Jill Macyshon