Yorkton man wins $20M in Lotto Max draw
Ernie Anuik discovered his win on a regular trip to Shoppers Drug Mart to check tickets with his son
There is a new multi-millionaire in Saskatchewan.
Ernie Anuik won a $20-million jackpot on the Feb. 15 Lotto Max draw after purchasing a ticket from the Shoppers Drug Mart at 277 Broadway St. in Yorkton.
He discovered his win on a regular trip to the store to check his tickets with his son, according to a Wednesday press release from the Western Canada Lottery Corporation.
"I knew someone from Saskatchewan had won and I knew it wasn't in Regina or Saskatoon," Anuik was quoted as saying in the news release.
"But that didn't really influence me or give me any presumption that I had won. I always said everyone has an equal chance of winning."
When he scanned his ticket, he discovered he had the winning numbers — 19, 26, 28, 36, 40, 42 and 48.
"I just saw lots of zeros," Anuik said. "There were a couple of people behind us and I don't think they realized what was happening."
Anuik used the store's ticket checker three times before "hollering" for his son to come over so they could check the ticket together, the lottery corporation said.
They then scanned the ticket three more times before getting the store clerk to validate the win.
When asked about his plans, Anuik said, "There's no such thing as a sure thing and nothing lasts forever. If you can accept those two things you can get through a lot of stuff in life."
He said he plans to speak with a financial advisor about what to do with his new fortune.