'Overcome with joy': Newly retired Brampton couple wins $70M Lotto Max jackpot | CBC News

Newly retired Brampton couple wins $70M Lotto Max jackpot

Ticket was Mother's Day gift from husband to wife, OLG says

Brampton couple wins $70M jackpot

A newly retired Brampton couple says retirement will be "next level" now they have won a life-changing $70-million Lotto Max jackpot.

Audrey and Wills W., who are married and originally from Jamaica, said the jackpot means the next phase of their lives will be easier because it means freedom.

“Our family and friends will benefit from this win. We want to share and lift others up,” Audrey said.

"Most importantly, we can live our lives on our terms."

Added Wills: “I’ve been working towards my retirement, and now, it’s going to be next level."

Wills gave Audrey the winning Lotto Max quick pick ticket for Mother's Day, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation said on Wednesday.

The ticket was purchased at the Canco One Stop Gas Station on Steeles Avenue in Brampton and the draw was on May 8.

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During their winner celebration at the OLG Centre in Toronto, the couple said they have been playing the lottery with OLG for many years.

Winning the jackpot feels like a dream, they said.

"We came to Canada with nothing. We worked hard, learned to save, and never lived beyond our means. It will take a while to get used to this!” Audrey said.

Travel high on the list, couple says

The couple said they don't have any plans yet and hope to take things slowly, but do have a few aspirations in mind.

Travel is high on their list, including taking a few cruises and enjoying the Caribbean Sea, they said.

For Audrey, her aspirations include a building dream home in Jamaica where family and friends can stay when they visit, renovating the kitchen in their Brampton home and creating a space to come together for home-cooked meals.

"We’ll absolutely make the most of this win,” Audrey said.

For Wills, his aspirations include buying and rebuilding a vintage car.

Daughter was convinced parents were winners

As for the ticket itself, Audrey said she was the first to discover their big win when she checked the ticket using the OLG app.

“I saw the winning amount on the screen, turned to Wills, and said, ‘Look at this — is this $70?’ He glanced at it and said, ‘No — look again because there are so many more zeros!’

"When I realized it was $70 million, I was shocked. I had to double-check to make sure it was real. That’s when I started jumping on the bed in excitement and then fell to my knees overcome with joy!”

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A few hours before Audrey and Wills checked their ticket, their daughter heard reports that a winning Lotto Max ticket had been sold in Brampton and was convinced her parents were the winners.

“When we finally told her the news of the win, she smiled and said, ‘I knew it!’” Audrey said.

Wills, however, said he's taking the win in stride, saying: "As long as I have my wife, a nice home, and the sun is shining, everything is good.”

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