EDMONTON — 2015 was a lucky year for those living in the prairie provinces and northern parts of Canada. A record number of lottery prizes worth more than $1 million were claimed on tickets sold within Western Canada Lottery Corporation’s region.
A total of 76 winning tickets were purchased in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Yukon last year, worth $281 million.
All three prairie provinces also broke records for the number of million-dollar lottery prizes won in 2015. Alberta saw 49, Saskatchewan saw 15 and Manitoba saw 10.
The winners of the 76 lottery prizes came from 37 communities, with the most winners coming from Edmonton. Fifteen lottery winners came from Alberta’s capital city in 2015. Calgary saw 11 residents winning more than $1 million in lotto prizes in 2015. Regina saw two, Saskatoon had three and Winnipeg had seven.
Lady luck was also on the side of those living in small communities in 2015. Several million-dollar winners were from small towns and villages. Five winners were from communities with populations under 1,000 people.
One of the largest jackpots, $50 million, was won in Fort Kent, Alberta, which has a population of about 200 people.
The previous record for most wins in the WCLC’s region was set in 2014, when 58 prizes of $1 million or more were claimed on the prairies and in the north.