A northern Alberta man says he intends to honour his late wife with some of the $70 million he won in a Lotto Max draw last month.
A statement from Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) said Brian Hoover’s Jan. 16 win — the largest available in Canada — signifies so much more than money in the bank for Hoover —it represents the fulfillment of a dream he shared with his late wife and a poignant opportunity to honour her legacy.
“This is bittersweet for me,” Hoover said in a statement. “We always talked about what we would do if we won the lottery.
Winning the lottery was a long-time inside joke and a shared aspiration that fueled many hopes and dreams for the couple, however his wife died before they could be realized.
“I’m determined to bring some of those ideas to life in her memory.”
Hoover purchased his winning ticket at Ace Hardware in Beaverlodge, a small town in the Grande Prairie region of northern Alberta. He won his prize by matching all seven main draw numbers on the Jan. 16 draw – 2, 9, 10, 14, 42, 43 and 44.
The Beaverlodge man said he is in the beginning stages of planning, but his hope is to provide for his community.
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“We had three children, and my wife was heavily invested in their lives,” he said. “She liked to take them to parks, any park. My first thought is to have a park named for her.”
The winner said he is also looking into sponsoring some sort of program for local schools and said that’s just the beginning.
“I want to make sure I do good things. Using this money and investing in her memory is a way to share this win with her.”
Hoover also said he is going to pay off some of his family’s mortgages and help some friends out. After that, he said he is thinking about treating himself.
“I have a friend who lives in the Yukon who’s been asking me to visit. I’m thinking it would be nice to drive up in a classy motorhome,” he said.
In addition to the Jan. 16 grand prize, someone who purchased a ticket in Calgary won just over $280,000 after matching six of the seven winning numbers and the bonus number.
These big wins come on the heels of several other massive wins in 2023.
Three winning tickets were sold in Edmonton last year, with people picking up jackpots of $50 million, $35 million and $1 million.
Someone who bought a ticket in Bonnyville won $17 million.
A winning ticket purchased in Lethbridge also made someone a whopping $55 million richer.
— With files from Caley Gibson, Global News