'One ticket is all it takes': OLG reveals winner of $60-million jackpot
A woman from Hamilton, Ont. is now a multimillionaire after she won the $60-million Lotto Max jackpot.
Leah Murdoch-Gerics received the cheque on Thursday. She purchased the $5 “quick pick” ticket on OLG.ca for the April 19 draw.
The $60-million payout is the largest ever to be awarded to a Lotto Max jackpot winner who purchased their ticket online.
Murdoch-Gerics said she had been playing the lottery casually over the past year before the big win.
“Just one ticket is all it takes. Five bucks,” Leah Murdoch-Gerics told a room full of reporters as she was presented with the novelty cheque.
The 58-year-old Hamilton resident said she saw an email from OLG after the April 19 draw, which indicated she had won a prize.
However, she didn’t actually open the email until later.
“When I see OLG emails in my inbox, they normally say I won a Free Play ticket, but this specific email looked different,” she said.
When she did open the email to check the prize amount, she said she was “suddenly calm.”
“I didn’t know what to do next. I couldn’t really fathom this was happening to me.”
After showing the email to her husband, he initially thought she had won $60,000.
After she urged him to take a closer look, the reality of the win set in.
- Download our app to get local alerts to your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
“It was clear at that moment what he saw! We were both in shock and just stared at each other stunned in disbelief,” she said.
The self-described homemaker said the windfall is overwhelming for her and her family.
“My husband’s retired…but not for long,” Murdoch-Gerics said jokingly. “He’s got a new job now: working for me.”
She said that one of the best moments following the win was the look on her children’s faces after she delivered the news.
“It was seeing the shock on their faces when they realized that they get to enjoy all the excitement without the responsibilities,” she laughed.
Murdoch-Gerics said she understands she has to “use the money wisely” in the long-term, but plans to treat her family to a vacation in the near future.
“I don’t see any major changes in the immediate future because who knows where we will be a year from now,” she said. “This is just an emotional journey that starts with disbelief and builds into excitement. I feel so humbled and honoured to be in this place at this moment.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.