The couple from the small northern Ontario Canada community who won the significant Lotto Max Ontario Lottery could not believe their eyes. The 60-year-old retired mechanic checked the ticket over and over in total disbelief that he and his wife had won the big one.
Marc Meilleur checked his ticket at least a dozen times before he believed he won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot on the February 26, 2021. Both Marc and Dorothy-Ann, Marc’s wife, have been dedicated lottery players for a number of years. They both purchase their own tickets with Marc buying Quick Picks while his wife plays her own numbers consisting of anniversaries and birth dates
After the draw the next morning Marc scanned the numbers on his quick pick ticket using the OLG Lottery app and went into shock and disbelief as he realized after repeating the scan he was a winner.
“That’s when I went to the bedroom to get Dorothy-Ann and tell her ‘I think I have the winning ticket,” said Marc as he collected the win at the OLG Prize Centre adding , “But my wife thought I was joking, so I scanned the ticket again to show her the $70 million win on the screen.”
The couple then drove to the local store where Marc purchased the ticket and asked the owner to validate the ticket through the lottery terminal. The “Winner/Gagnant” little jingle played and an OLG representative called the store. That’s when the enormous win became a reality for the couple.
“I started crying tears of joy,” said Dorothy-Ann, Marc added, “My mind was racing, and my hands were shaking, and I was wondering what to do next.” Marc and Dorothy-Ann have seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. “As a parent, you want to provide the best for your children and now we can take care of them without worry,” said Marc. “We want them to be able to buy new homes and vehicles, but we also have a great team of financial advisors helping all of us set up the grandchildren and great-grandchildren for future success.”
