‘I had a feeling’: Burnaby woman wins $70M in B.C.’s largest-ever lottery win

Sometimes it pays to trust your instincts, as a woman from Burnaby, B.C., recently discovered.

Christine Lauzon was picking up a package of peanuts as a snack on Sept. 28, when something told her she should buy a lottery ticket as well.

That Lotto Max ticket turned out to be more than just lucky. At $70 million, it paid out as the largest-ever lottery prize won in B.C.

“I had a feeling that I needed to get a ticket or something like that,” Lauzon said.

1:55 Lotto Max $70 Million Jackpot ticket bought in Burnaby

Lauzon checked the ticket online at home, where she realized she won. She then shared the news with her roommate and her dad.

“They were both so surprised and excited,” she said. “My dad … couldn’t keep a straight face.”

The ticket was sold at a Shoppers Drug Mart on Hastings Street in North Burnaby.

Lauzon said priority one will be talking to a financial adviser about what to do with the windfall, followed by gifting some of the cash to her immediate family.

But she said she’s going to take some time before deciding how to treat herself with the winnings.

According to the BC Lottery Corporation, the odds of winning the Lotto Max are one in 33,294,800.