A losing ticket....

The story of the winners who did....

Energy workers in Alta say they'll share record $54 million Lotto 6-49 prize
at 20:46 on October 27, 2005, EST.
JOHN COTTER AND LISA ARROWSMITH

CAMROSE, Alta. (CP) - With laughter, hugs and plenty of beer and pizza, 17 jubilant employees of an oil and gas company celebrated winning the record $54.3-million Lotto 6-49 jackpot Thursday.

Most of the winners, all employees of Viking Holdings located near the small town of Sedgewick, gathered at a home in Camrose for an impromptu party to celebrate their win, which amounts to $3.17 million each. It was a festive scene, with children running around and some of the celebrants woozy from a little too much to drink.

Darrell Thompson, who bought the winner, couldn't take his eyes off the prize ticket stuck to his fridge with two magnets, the winning numbers - 5, 11, 20, 30, 37 and 43 - highlighted in yellow.

"Is it for real, is it for real?" Thompson asked with a smile as his co-workers came into the kitchen to gaze at their ticket to easy street.

Perry Armstrong said he will never forget breaking the news to his boss Thursday morning after a company safety meeting.

"I waited until after the meeting, actually the boss was even saying, 'Well, unless anyone won that 54 million.'

"I just got up and said, 'On that topic, any of the 17 people that are here who were in the pool put your hands up, (then) I said, 'You're millionaires!' "

The winners talked about what to do with their money and whether they should keep working or retire. Some said they didn't want to leave their employer high and dry, and discussed how they might help make the transition to a new staff.

Other employees who declined to join the group lottery ticket pool were kicking themselves and dreaming about what might have been.

"Where the hell was I last week when the 20 bucks was going in?" said Mike Frederick with a good-natured laugh.

He joked that if enough of his millionaire-colleagues quit, perhaps they will make him manager.

Debbie Leslie, 44, one of only two women in the group of winners, said when they found out during the work meeting about their windfall, she didn't quite believe it since some of her colleagues are real pranksters.

"We looked at each other with our mouths open, thinking, 'Yeah, this isn't right.' Pretty soon, we all started hugging each other, thinking, 'This is real.' "

Thompson said he'll buy his severely arthritic wife a new house, his daughter a new car, and then he'll retire: "I'm done; I'm over."

Dean Parker also said he will retire at the ripe old age of 28, after buying a house and his dream car - a Cadillac SUV.

People in Sedgewick, a small town of 900 people 130 kilometres southeast of Edmonton, were caught up in the big lotto win.

Mayor David Danko, who owns the town drug store, said it was all people were talking about up and down the community's main street.

"Most or all of them live in Sedgewick. The town is excited and buzzing," said Danko. "This is tremendous news for the winners and definitely the area."

Despite the hoopla, the lucky group had still not been declared the official winner.

Western Canada Lottery Corp. officials said they have been contacted by at least two people claiming to have a stake in the golden ticket.

But no one had come forward yet for the required screening interview or to have the ticket verified, said spokesman John Matheson.

Source

There is an old expression, Reyn, that goes something like "Be careful what you wish for. You might just get it." These 17 folks with their $3 million each are going to find their lives drastically changed. For the better or, perhaps, for the worse. And the little town they live in, and the company they work for? It would be interesting if someone (soon to retire) could follow up on these folks in that town periodically and write about it.

I hear ya. Money doesn't buy happiness, but it can sure give you a whole range of options you didn't have before.

The chance is so slim - about 14 million to 1. :wink:

Don't most lotteries pay off in annuities instead of lump sums? And about 50% of the winnings end up being taken as tax?

I'm not sure a 28-year-old could afford to permanently retire on $3 million (make that $1.5 million paid out in smaller annual payments.) Hope Dean Parker enjoys that Escalade while he can.

Eva, in Canada, the lotteries are paid out in one large sum.....and, wait for it..... they are tax-free!

U.S. citizens, eat yur heart out..... :wink:

Don't tease me, Reyn.

Next thing you know, you'll be telling me that everyone there has medical insurance.

Funny you should say that, but they do, and if you can't afford it, it's provided at no cost. :wink:

With the lotteries, only the investment interest earned is taxable.

Yeah, right.

And you probably allow gays to marry, too. Right?














(I'm just teasing you, Reyn. That really isn't fair about the lottery money, though. Canada has so many advantages over the U.S....if it just wasn't so darned COLD!!!!!)

Of course happy people are allowed to marry here. Why wouldn't they?

You know, in regards to the weather, I bet some parts are no more colder than the U.S. On the west coast here, especially in the southwest corner of BC, we get the mildest weather in all of Canada. Lots of rain though, so you have to have flippers and a wet suit.

My sister lives in Anacortes, WA...about halfway between Seattle and Vancouver. Despite the fact that she has flowers year 'round and almost never sees snow, I cannot understand how she can stay there. It's just so...gray...most of the time.

It wouldn't do for me, Reyn. I need my sunshine and bright blue skies. I'd rather brave the extremes (we go from 0 to 100 degrees every year) than live where it was always cloudy and wet.

I nearly fainted when I saw the size of the slugs up there! YIKES!!!

Sounds like Eureka...

Anacortes, eh? Yup, know of it, but never been past Bellingham.

Well, for sure we get lots of rain. That's the price we pay for small amounts (usually) of snow.

In the summer here in the Fraser Valley, temperatures can be in the 30 degree Celsius range (high 80s F.).

For me, I abhor extreme weather, so this is bearable.

Well, when I win the lottery . . .

what'll you do, Edgar?