A Montreal man who initially thought he had won $5,000 discovered instead that he was the sole winner of a $5-million Lotto 6/49 jackpot, one of two major lottery prizes claimed in Quebec over the past week.
Loto-Québec said Pierre Draws won the Classic Jackpot in the July 4 Lotto 6/49 draw. The prize was part of a week that also saw a $25-million Lotto Max jackpot won in Laval through a group ticket, with each share worth $2.5 million.
Draws said he checked his ticket using the Loto-Québec mobile app and first believed he had won $5,000.
“It was $5 million instead,” he said while collecting his prize at Loto-Québec headquarters.
“Five million doesn’t change the world, but … it’s something.”
Get daily National news
Get daily Canada news delivered to your inbox so you’ll never miss the day’s top stories.
The Montreal resident said receiving the cheque left him emotional. “I’m floating on a cloud, a beautiful white cloud,” he said.
The man, who retired last year and is in his 60s, said his first major purchase will be a home, something he previously considered beyond reach.
“I think I deserve a house, a better life … for me and my cat,” he said.
The winning ticket was purchased at Boni-Soir–Marché Bachir on Baldwin Avenue in Montreal’s Anjou borough. The retailer will receive a commission of $50,000, equivalent to one per cent of the prize.
Loto-Québec said Quebecers won a combined $30 million in major lottery jackpots over the span of one week.
Last year, the Crown corporation awarded a record $1.9 billion in prizes and produced 111 millionaires across Quebec, according to Loto-Québec.
Read the full article here
