Grand Falls-Windsor couple plan to use $1M lotto prize on retirement and travel
Another family has joined the millionaire's club, adding to the recent streak of lottery winners in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Lester Hillier and Barbara Thomas, of Grand Falls-Windsor, collected the cheque Wednesday for $1 million after winning the Lotto Max MaxMillions draw May 29.
Hillier says the news hasn't entirely sunk in yet.
"We checked the bank account this morning, and the money's there — that makes it a little more real!" he joked.
The pair had been relaxing around the house May 30, when Hillier decided to check their numbers online.
"The first two numbers match, then I look at the next two numbers, and they match, and then the last three digits — and they match," Hillier said.
"And I'm just sitting there, and I turn around and look at Barb, and I say: 'Barb, what would you say if I told you we won a million dollars?' And she looks at me and she says, 'Don't be saying that!'"
"Don't be teasing me like that today!" Thomas added.
He says they both took second look over the numbers to make sure.
"From then on, she was just over the moon. I thought she was going to faint." Hillier said.
Travel plans in the works
The couple are both longtime government employees, and now they're both planning on retiring in September.
With their winnings, they're thinking about taking a trip to Hawaii, and possibly buying a small motor home to use to travel across the province — and maybe even across Canada.
Hillier and Thomas are the province's 12th major lottery winners in the last six months.
There are still two recent winners who have yet to come forward to claim their prizes.