Daily Grand Winners
Here are some of the stories behind Daily Grand’s biggest winners. The game’s top prize is worth CA$1,000 a day for life, or a cash alternative of CA$7 million. Most players prefer to take the lump sum, and you can find out below what these winners planned to do with the money.
Andrea and John Wittig (Alberta)
Andrea and John Wittig, a couple from Calgary in Alberta, didn’t usually play the lottery, but she bought a ticket ‘on a whim’ at the Superstore on Macleod Trail and was stunned to discover how much it was worth. John was waiting in the car when she checked it in-store and saw her reaction from a distance. “Andrea was staring out the window at me and suddenly there were tears,” he recalled. “Half a dozen people came out of the store to tell me congratulations. It was quite an experience.”
Opting for the lump sum, the Wittigs said they were thinking of going on a European river cruise. Andrea added: “I’ve also been needing to get a newer vehicle because mine is 20 years old, so this is perfect timing.”
Farhad Farhadi-Amineh (Ontario)
King City resident Farhad Farhadi-Amineh thanked his blessing after claiming the top prize in this Daily Grand draw. As a regular Lotto 6/49 player, he only decided to buy a ticket for Daily Grand because some smaller wins from the other game to hand. When he checked his ticket online and saw a message that he was a big winner, he did not know how to proceed.
“I didn’t believe it at first and asked my wife, ‘What does this mean?’ She told me to go check it at the store. We were both so shocked and started talking about what this means for us.” Farhadi-Amineh added that his main focus would be paying off his mortgage and maintaining his ‘privacy and peace’ while he figured out his next steps.
Meghan Petaske (Alberta)
Three months after she received a lottery ticket as an extra Christmas gift from her mother, Meghan Petaske from Calgary finally got around to checking it. She was left overjoyed and emotional when she discovered how much it was worth, while she was also fully aware that the big win could have gone to any of her brothers and sisters. “Every year my mom puts together Christmas baskets with lottery tickets and other stuff for all of the siblings,” said Petaske. “There’s five of us so it could have gone to any one of us!”
Petaske and her partner, Cody Rudiger, decided to take the money as a lump sum rather than the annuity. They said they would buy a house, share winnings with family and travel through Europe, although financial planning was a priority.
Burnaby Lottery Group (British Columbia)
A group of 24 work colleagues from Burnaby in British Columbia described themselves as ‘so happy and excited’ after matching all the Daily Grand numbers with a lucky ticket bought at Save-On-Foods on Marine Way and Byrne Road. Iuliana Petrovici, who coordinates the group, said it was 10:30 p.m. when she found out about the win, which gave her goosebumps all over and made her shake. Although it was late, she still called a few of the other members to let them know.
The group decided to take the CA$7 million lump sum and split out the cash, leaving them with fewer worries for the future. Between them, there were plans for new cars, dream vacations, complete home renovations, and a lunch for the entire company.
Jane Evans (Ontario)
While many winners jump for joy or break down in tears when they discover their newfound wealth, Jane Evans from Vaughan in Ontario said she had a moment of ‘Zen’, adding: “I felt calm, peaceful and quiet.” She was then able to laugh with her husband as soon as she got home, before they made plans for a celebratory dinner.
Speaking about her plans for the future, Evans said she would enjoy a retirement filled with travel, and would also buy a new car, having decided to take the lump sum of CA$7 million. The winning ticket was purchased at Times Variety on Times Avenue in Thornhill.