A couple of Sturgeon Falls retirees are $2.5 million richer after winning the Lotto 6/49 jackpot on April 2. Blaine Parrington and Evelyne Rainville held one of two winning tickets, splitting the $5 million jackpot.
The couple had been buying occasional lotto and scratch tickets for nearly 15 years. “Last September, we decided we’d play LOTTO 6/49 every Wednesday for one year and see how we’d do,” said Blaine. Just six months later, they are celebrating the thrill of becoming multi-millionaires!
“I scanned our LOTTO 6/49 ticket on the store’s ticket checker and saw the ‘Big Winner’ message. When I asked the store clerk to validate our ticket, the lottery terminal froze. An OLG representative called and confirmed we’d won $2.5 million,” Blaine recalled, as he and Evelyne visited the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to claim their winnings. “I was amazed and shocked. It was a feeling that can’t be explained in words.”
With happy tears in his eyes, Blaine returned home to share the unbelievable news with Evelyne. “I was astonished,” Evelyne smiled. “That afternoon, we had family over and told them about our winning ticket. Everyone was very happy for us, including our son, whom we video chatted with and sent a picture of the validation slip. It was a surreal and exceptionally overwhelming moment.”
“I reached out to my daughter, but she was busy and had to call me back,” Blaine recounted. “After seeing the text message I’d sent her, she returned my call. When I answered, she was singing the Barenaked Ladies song, ‘If I Had $1000000.’ It was such a wholesome moment.”
The couple shared more about their exciting plans for their windfall. “I enjoy fishing, so I’m looking to buy a new boat,” Blaine smiled. “I’d like to upgrade my car, and we’d love to plan a trip within Canada to see the Rocky Mountains,” Evelyne beamed. “We’ll also share this prize with our children and grandchildren, complete some renovations, and make some investments for our future,” the couple concluded.