As we inch closer to closing the year that was 2024, we’re celebrating some of the best stories from this year’s Alberta lottery winners.
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Edmonton’s Kerry McIntosh’s dreams of homeownership became a reality this year after he won a massive $5 million lotto prize in March.
“I was in shock, driving home to tell my wife,” he laughed. “She didn’t believe me and checked number by number!”
“It was also now possible for us to own the home we had been renting for 17 years.”
Apart from home ownership, McIntosh said he and his wife immediately made big plans for their winnings.
“We were going to take a big road trip across Canada and the USA and were planning to take my son to Vegas for UFC Fight Week,” the Edmonton man explained.
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After mistaking a $5 million lottery win for a much lower sum, Norman Stretch will never need a new pair of reading glasses again.
The Central Alberta man won the seven-figure prize in the April 13 Lotto 6/49 draw but admitted he couldn’t find his reading glasses when he discovered he had a winning ticket.
“I thought I’d won $5,000,” he said.
“I called my friend to show him, and he said, ‘Check again with your glasses on, dummy!’”
“Sure enough… it was $5,000,004!” he laughed.
His friends had a hilarious response to the win, ensuring Stretch would always be within arm’s reach of a pair of glasses.
“My buddy just bought me 10 new pairs of reading glasses,” Stretch laughed. “I keep finding them everywhere. I can’t stop laughing!”
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A lottery player in Calgary remained calm and focused after netting his second major win in a few years.
Osman Adam said he felt composed when he saw the amount—a cool $5 million—in the October 9 Lotto 6/49 Classic draw.
Adam previously took home a $1 million Lotto Max prize in May 2021, which he used to buy a house and a vehicle.
“I look at it like: I just bought a new vehicle [when I won] last time,” he laughed while telling the WCLC. “I liked it three years ago, and I don’t want a new one now.”
The Calgary local shared a few ideas for his latest windfall, including investing in real estate, stocks, and bonds. He also planned a trip overseas to visit family.
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A Calgary couple celebrated an unexpected windfall after their spur-of-the-moment decision to purchase a lottery ticket led to a $7 million win.
Andrea and John Wittig, who usually only bought scratch tickets for holidays, decided on a whim to try their luck with a Daily Grand ticket.
Andrea recounted realizing they had won, saying, “[The cashier] checked it for me, and then he just looked at me and said, ‘Congratulations!’ It took me a long time to realize just how much I’d won.”
Meanwhile, John, waiting in the car, was taken aback by Andrea’s emotional reaction.
“[She] was staring out the window at me, and suddenly there were tears,” he recalled. “It was quite an experience!”
The couple planned to support their children, take a European River Cruise, and replace Andrea’s 20-year-old vehicle.
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A young Calgary couple basked in the glow of a $7 million lotto win and began making big plans for the future when they discovered their massive windfall in March.
Meghan Petaske and Cody Rudiger were stunned when they discovered they had been sitting on a multimillion-dollar lottery win.
“Every year, my mom put together Christmas baskets with lottery tickets and other stuff for all of the siblings,” Petaske explained while claiming their prize.
The lucky winners said they were making long-term plans for their windfall but also intended to have a little fun with their prize.
“We couldn’t get over the wonderful timing,” said Petaske. “We were just starting out in life, and we’d be able to pay off student loans and really invest in our future.”
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After winning a record-breaking lotto jackpot, a Calgary man looked forward to some rest, relaxation, and spoiling his mom.
James Jutzi won the $66 million Lotto 6/49 prize last month after buying a $2 Lotto Max ticket. After discovering the massive windfall, he had to tell his boss first.
“He thought I was lying,” Jutzi laughed. “He asked if I could come into work. I said: ‘No.’”
“I had been working as a handyman since I was a kid. When I found out I’d won, I said, ‘That’s it! No more work!’”
Jutzi said that after a life of working hard, he was finally ready for some rest and relaxation.
“It was a lot to digest, but I knew I deserved a vacation, and I was so excited,” he said.
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After winning an enormous $70 million Lotto Max prize, Brian Hoover from Beaverlodge planned to commemorate his late wife and take care of his community.
Brian Hoover experienced a range of emotions after discovering he had won the massive windfall on the January 16 draw. Though the money in the bank was nice, it represented fulfilling a dream he had shared with his late wife and offered a chance to honour her legacy.
For the Hoovers, winning the lottery had been more than just a chance at an enormous payday. It was a long-time inside joke and shared aspiration that fueled many of their hopes and dreams.
Hoover’s wife passed away before they could realize this dream together.
“This was bittersweet for me,” Hoover shared at his prize claim interview. “We always talked about what we would do if we won the lottery. I’m determined to bring some of those ideas to life in her memory.”
The Beaverlodge local said he was in the early planning stages and hoped to also provide for his community.
“We had three children, and my wife was heavily invested in their lives,” he explained. “She liked to take them to parks, any park. My first thought is to have a park named for her.”
Hoover said he was also looking into sponsoring some programs for local schools.
“These were all such fresh thoughts,” he said in January. “I wanted to make sure I did good things. Using this money and investing in her memory was a way to share this win with her.”
All forms of gambling, including the lottery, involve risk and outcomes are based on chance. Individuals are strongly advised to gamble responsibly. If you are experiencing any signs of gambling-related issues, you can find resources here.