Curler Suzanne Birt wins $500K from Atlantic Lottery

Atlantic Lottery’s latest big winner has a familiar face — celebrated curler Suzanne Birt.

Birt won $500,000 on a scratch-and-win ticket while working at her family-owned convenience store last month.

"I started to sweat and almost faint and shake and I wanted to check the ticket right away, because I almost didn't believe this was happening," she said on Tuesday.

Birt buys tickets a couple of times a week. Her family recently sold their store, but had owned S&E Grocery in Summerside for 25 years.

Carla Bourque of Atlantic Lottery explained the gap between the winning and Tuesday’s announcement.

"Suzanne was subject to a 30-day review period as is standard per our related parties policy and after the 30 days, she was awarded her prized today. We were happy to present her with half a million dollars."

Because the Birts owned the store, they’ll also get one per cent of the winning ticket — $5,000.

Time to take a trip

Birt says it's natural for store owners and employees to buy lottery tickets since they're surrounded by it all day.

"We're available to buy it at any time that we're there, but I mean we have the same chance as everyone else."

A review done for Atlantic Lotto a few years ago found that retailers are ten times more likely to win than the general public.

Suzanne Birt and her husband Trevor aren't sure what they'll do with the win yet, but will likely start by taking a trip and paying off their bills.

"It will make things more comfortable and peaceful. We'll probably pay off our mortgage and invest a few dollars and enjoy ourselves," Trevor Birt said.

"It's a dream actually, it's kind of unreal. [We’ll]  take our time and decide slowly and responsibly what we're going to do with it," Suzanne Birt said.

Birt won gold at the 2001 world junior championship and bronze in 2002.