A couple in Lakefield, Ont., say it was a daunting task to keep their $70 million lottery win a secret from family for over two months.
The OLG earlier this week presented Doug and Enid Hannon with the $70 million prize they won from the Lotto Max draw held on Feb. 20. The village of Lakefield is just north of Peterborough.
Enid says she purchased the winning ticket at a grocery store in the City of Kawartha Lakes while on the way to their “camp.” However, it was her husband who discovered the big win the following day when he checked the ticket via the OLG app.
“I was completely unaware that a winning ticket had been sold in our area,” he said. “So, when I saw ‘Big Winner’ on the phone screen, I was shaking! My heart was pounding. I had to stare at it for a while and process all those zeroes. Then I had to check it a few more times.”
The retiree says he decided to wait until Enid returned home for work to share the news.
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“I went to the garage and buried my head in some work while I struggled with disbelief and thought about our next steps,” Doug said during the cheque presentation held in Lakefield.
Doug had dinner prepared and waited until after they ate to spring the surprise.
“Doug told me to come into the computer room and the OLG website was on the computer screen, and he told me to check the numbers on ticket,” Enid said. “When I realized we had won a prize, I first thought it was a $70,000 win. Doug told me to recount all the zeros and that’s when it hit me that we won $70 million.”
The couple say they “hugged and cried” and started talking about how the windfall would help family and others.
However, they kept their massive secret from their children and grandchildren up until a week before they collected their prize. The couple first sought financial and legal advice as they started making plans for the money.
“Keeping this secret was killing me,” Enid said.
With their money, the couple says they have a “few plans,” including travel.
“I would like to travel across Canada to experience the beautiful nature of this country from coast to coast,” Doug said.
Enid says she is excited to begin some “long-awaited” renovations to their home as she is set to retire.
“I have been dreaming about a new kitchen for years and now I will get it, along with some other improvements to the house because we love where we live, and we don’t want to move,” she said.
However, the couple who have been married for 51 years, say the top priority for their money is to support their family. They also intend to share some of their winnings with community causes they support.
“Our family is most important, and we want to share this with them. I want to ensure everyone is safe, secure and well taken care of,” Enid said.
At the end of the winner celebration, Doug and Enid shared the news with extended family members who were invited to a “special family meeting” where they revealed the lottery win and announced a promise of a large family trip to celebrate.
“This is truly a blessing for us and our family,” Doug said. “Like many people, you always hope to win the lottery, but we never dreamt this would happen to us! We are so very thankful.”
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