‘I screamed!’: Ontario couple wins $40M in record Canadian lottery jackpot

Stephanie and Bryan Cantwell were still going to show up for work.

After finding out last month their lives were changing forever, the Owen Sound, Ont. couple both reported for duty with the knowledge they were $40 million richer.

However, “that lasted about five minutes” before they both left, Stephanie said.

The 46 and 47-year-old won $40 million from the historic Sept. 17 Lotto Max draw, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) announced on Monday. The grand prize for that draw was $80 million – the first time in Canadian lottery history a jackpot has been that high.

The Cantwell’s split the jackpot with a retired gym teacher from Quebec’s Outaouais region.

The discovery came during a routine lottery ticket check for Bryan, who said in a news release Tuesday that he tries to play Lotto Max and Lotto 6/49 once a week, often buying the tickets from a Petro-Canada in Owen Sound where a family friend works.

2:01 Retired gym teacher from Quebec wins $40 million with lucky lottery ticket

After multiple non-winners, his next scan would be a life-changing one.

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“I was still in shock, so I checked some other tickets to ensure the app was working properly,” he said in the release.

“I went back to the winning ticket and scanned it again and again. I think I checked it seven or eight times. The message remained the same – ‘Big Winner’ and ‘$40 million!’”

Bryan then barged into the bathroom and handed the phone to Stephanie while she was in the shower.

“I wasn’t sure what was happening as he asked me to check the ticket. I thought I saw $40,000,” Stephanie said in the release.

“That’s when he told me to take a second look and I screamed!”

After going into work – and then leaving shortly after – the couple decided to surprise the family friend who sold them the ticket at the store.

“I walked into the store the way I always do asking, ‘Did OLG call today?’” Bryan said.

1:06 Torontonian wins largest jackpot in Lotto 6/49 history

With Stephanie looking on, Bryan handed their friend one ticket – a winner for $20. After, they handed them the jackpot ticket. Their friend was left in shock when she realized she had validated the $40 million winner.

“We have always been generous people and we dream of helping all the people we love,” Stephanie said.

“But I am the budget queen, and we need to be careful to ensure we can make the most impact with this money for family, friends, and the community.”

In addition to buying their dream home, Bryan purchased a new motorcycle after an accident damaged his old bike a few weeks ago.

“I have never gone into a motorcycle shop and pointed to a new bike. I was hoping to get a decent used one,” Bryan said. Stephanie said she loves to travel and sees many sunny and warm destinations in their future.

The Lotto Max jackpot win is the seventh consecutive jackpot win in Ontario this year.

When Lotto Max was first introduced in 2009, a lottery game that offered multiple $50 million jackpots a year was unheard of. Then in 2015, the jackpot cap increased to $60 million, and then to $70 million in 2019. This year, the main cap increased to $80 million.

Lotto Max is drawn every Tuesday and Friday.