Woman didn’t know she won $5 million for nearly a year in Ontario

An Ontario woman had been sitting on a $5 million lottery win for nearly a year, unaware that she had won the massive prize.

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation said in a news release Wednesday that Connie Christie from Beachville, near Woodstock, won the classic jackpot in the May 4, 2024 Lotto 6/49 draw.

Christie has played the lottery for many years and she normally checks her tickets monthly to see if they were winners.

Sometimes she forgets to check.

Last month, the OLG announced that a $5 million lottery win was nearing expiration, as customers have one year from the draw date to claim their prize.

They said the winning Lotto 6/49 ticket was sold in Woodstock and there were around two weeks left to claim the prize.

Christie had recently found a small stack of tickets that she hadn’t checked and while running errands, heard about the unclaimed ticket on the radio.

“When I heard the details, I turned to my mom and said, ‘I have a feeling that’s my ticket,'” she recalled.

She dropped her mom off, went home and checked the tickets.

“I saw the ‘big winner’ message and put my phone down to pause for moment. Then took another look. I managed to stay calm, thinking, ‘I did it.’ It was a great feeling,” she said.

She shared the news with her family the next morning.

“I had the winning numbers pulled up on my laptop when my kids guessed, ‘Did you win the lottery?’ My answer was, ‘Yes, and it’s a life-changing changing prize — $5 million,'” Christie said.

“We sat there in silence, and I could see the wheels turning in all their heads as I shared proof of my win.”

She said she’d dream of winning the lottery every time she checked her tickets.

“I’d think about how I could help my family and the impact it would have on all of us,” she said.

“It feels so validating now, especially after all the times I’d head out to get my tickets and my kids would tease me.”

Her plans for the big win are focused on her loved ones, the release said.

She plans to retire from her job in logistics, wants her husband to do the same, and to go on a road trip along the Pacific Coast Highway.

The winning ticket was bought in Woodstock at Petro Canada on Norwich Avenue.

The OLG encouraged customers to check their tickets as soon as the draw is finished.