One Canadian lottery player is celebrating after a mundane chore led to an exciting discovery.
Sandra Turrin lives in the Laurentides region of Quebec. One day, she was tidying up her garage when she came across a grocery bag. She found a lottery ticket she had purchased over the summer when she peeked inside.
But before throwing it out, she decided to check the results and was stunned — she had won half of a $1 million Maxmillions prize during the Lotto Max draw on August 13, 2024. Turrin had split the prize with another winner from Ontario and was now $500,000 richer. She also found her ticket several months before the August 2025 deadline to claim her winnings.
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While at the Loto-Québec head office to pick up her cheque, she said, “I feel doubly lucky: I won and found the ticket before the deadline.”
Now, with an extra $500,000 in her bank account, Turrin said she’ll use some of her winnings to repay a portion of her mortgage.
Her winning ticket was purchased at the Jean Coutu pharmacy on Boulevard Saint-Jacques in Boisbriand.
Loto-Québec is urging people to check their tickets after the draw.
“We remind lottery players that the prize claim deadline for draw-based lottery games is one year from the draw date shown on the ticket,” the organization stated.
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, check out these resources.