A Summerland, B.C., woman is still reeling from winning $1 million in the Lotto 6/49 draw on Dec. 15, 2021.
“I got a free play from my (previous) ticket, and that free play was what actually won the million,” Anne Schmiedel said in a press release. “I wasn’t sure if it was real or not. My husband and I told one group of friends and they thought we were joking.”
Schmiedel purchased her ticket on PlayNow.com and was with her husband at home when she checked her email and found that she had won.
“I was in my living room, and I saw in my email that I won a prize. I thought, ‘OK, it’s probably one dollar.’ I showed my husband, and we were checking the numbers,” Schmiedel said.
“He said ‘No, those aren’t your numbers,’ but then he figured out the Guaranteed Prize and ours matched.”
Schmiedel says she plans on sharing some of her winnings with family, donating some to charity, and saving for retirement.