Winner of $18 million lottery jackpot revealed in Canada

The winner of a huge lottery jackpot in Canada has been revealed.

The Western Canada Lottery Corporation announced in a press release that Saskatchewan’s first jackpot win of the year went to Cora Cuthbert.

The Kisbey local, who calls Pheasant Rump Nakota First Nation home, in the southeastern part of the province, won $18 million in the Jan. 7 Lotto 6/49 gold ball draw.

Cuthbert now has big plans for her win.

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She learned she won the massive prize when she scanned her ticket on the lottery app while at work.

She couldn’t believe what she was seeing and called her coworkers over to confirm that it was real.

“My cousin jumped out of her chair and said, ‘Oh my God, you’re a millionaire!'” Cuthbert recalled.

Along with her coworkers, Cuthbert then went to the pharmacy where she purchased her ticket to have it scanned in-store.

“We got to the pharmacy, and the cashier was coming up an aisle,” she said.

“I showed her the ticket and said, ‘I think I won,’ and she said, ‘No way!’ She took the ticket and asked us if we were ready and we all said, ‘Yes!’ Then she scanned it and it came up on the screen. We all started screaming!”

Cuthbert said it took a couple of days before the win really hit her.

She then thought of her father, who passed away last summer, and began crying.

“I remember my parents playing the lottery when I was a kid and for most of my life and now, I do,” she said.

“That’s the only reason I play.”

Family, travel, and community top of mind

Cuthbert has developed some plans for her winnings.

“The first thing I’m doing is helping my brothers and sisters,” she said.

“We’re going to spend a family weekend in Edmonton together… and then I’m going to Hawaii!”

Cuthbert said she’s taking six people with her, all of whom will be flying first-class. She said she has always wanted to sleep in an airline pod, and now she can.

“Hawaii has big pow wows so we’re going to one together. We’ll get the full experience at least once,” she said.

And Cuthbert also has community top of mind.

“I want to make sure people have better access to support and medical care on reserve,” she said.

Cuthbert herself has spent years working as a homecare aide on reserve.

The big win means she will “finally” retire.

And lastly, a full spa day for her dog “Babygirl” is in the cards.

Images courtesy of the WCLC