An Olds resident, Brett Durand, is gearing up for retirement after a life-changing win of $1 million in the WESTERN MAX draw on September 17.
Durand, who had previously won a Free Play on a WESTERN MAX ticket, recently decided to cash in that ticket, leading to his big win.
"I scanned it and thought, 'There’s no decimal!'" he recalled with a laugh. "I kept looking for the decimal place and gradually realized it was actually a million!"
Excited to share the news, he rushed home to tell his wife.
"She thought I was joking," Durand admitted, adding that her reaction transformed into a huge smile when she realized the couple could both semi-retire and take a break.
Durand mentioned that he has a surprise planned for his wife’s birthday next week.
"I’m going to surprise her with something!" he said.
Reflecting on their fortune, Durand expressed how timely the win was for them. "It’s very relieving," he said. "It’s a lot of money. Life-changing in a way that allows us to walk into the next chapter."
The couple won’t be stepping into this new chapter alone, sharing their home with various animals. "We have a lot of animals," he chuckled. "We likely won’t be travelling much, but maybe we can get a babysitter for them now!"
Durand purchased his winning WESTERN MAX ticket at Circle K, 5622 46 Street in Olds. He clinched victory in one of the additional million-dollar prize draws by correctly matching the numbers 1, 3, 31, 34, 40, 42, and 49.
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