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.”
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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.