The Atlantic Lottery Corporation says it will confirm within 24 hours just how many Newfoundlanders have been made instant millionaires, after a group won a history-making Lotto Max $60-million jackpot.
It’s a massive windfall that’s expected to inject big money into rural Conception Bay-area communities about an hour’s drive from St. John’s.
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Corporation spokeswoman Tracy Shute said the last members of the winning group were interviewed Monday as a security process wraps up. If all goes smoothly, an official announcement will likely happen later this week.
“We’ll introduce the group and tell you some of their stories about the wonderful things they’re going to do with this money.”
Shute did not confirm the total number who will share the biggest jackpot yet in Atlantic Canada and one of the top five ever across the country.
She confirmed the ticket for Friday night’s draw was bought somewhere on the Avalon Peninsula but would not reveal any other details.
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Social media is abuzz with reports the jackpot will be shared by about 30 construction workers who live in small towns that have felt the brunt of recent economic swings. Newfoundland and Labrador was hit particularly hard when the oil price crash starting in 2014 drained crucial revenues from the provincial treasury.
Several major construction projects started winding down around the same time, including components of the Hebron offshore oil platform built at the Bull Arm fabrication site.
Shute said the historic win could be a “fantastic” injection of cash in rural areas that can certainly use it.
“It’s really something.”
John Smith, executive director of the Conception Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, said Monday he’s hearing the jackpot involves winners who live in small communities including Avondale, Conception Bay South, Holyrood, Bellevue and Come By Chance.
Lloyd Parrott, the general manager of PTL Services, which has a contract with North Atlantic Refining in Come By Chance, N.L., according to its website, said in a weekend text message “we are very happy for all of the workers.”
Parrott said he had no further comment at this time.
Smith said it’s a good news story for the whole region.
“It’ll definitely spread the wealth out among a bunch of different communities, depending how they want to use it,” he said from Conception Bay South. “It’s a huge, positive thing. Not one person won, but 30.
“If one person won it, it would be like ‘Oh, that’s too much money for one person.’ But this is a nice good story, about $1.8 million per person. It’s such a nest egg and security.
“Now I want to buy a ticket for Wednesday.”
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