Newest Maritime millionaires collect lottery winnings in Fredericton

The region’s newest lottery winners picked up their multi-million dollar cheque Tuesday in Fredericton.

Debbie Munn and Judy Fox won $25 million in Friday’s Lotto Max draw.

Munn checked their ticket before she was supposed to go to work Saturday morning.

“I just went numb,” says Munn. “I mean, my whole insides were just shakin' and I didn't know what to do.”

The pair split a $50 million jackpot with another winner in Quebec.

Originally, Munn thought they were splitting $25 million with the Quebec winner, before realizing that was actually their share.

“I said, ‘Judy, we didn't win six million dollars!’ She said ‘I knew it’. I said, ‘we won $12.5 million each!’ Let's just say I was doing the happy dance in Tim Horton's,” says Munn.

Brent Scrimshaw is the president of the Atlantic Lottery Corporation and was on hand for the cheque presentation. He says it has been a good year for Maritime lottery players, with a number of significant prizes being claimed.

“It's sizeable, we just had a winner last Friday, right here in Fredericton, on Set For Life, $1.3 million, so it seems to be our year,” says Scrimshaw.

Munn and Fox say paying off debts and helping their families will be priorities. They both vow the win will not change them.

“We're a close knit family, so, it's going to make my life better and my children's life better and that's all that matters, and a few people in between,” says Fox.

Before claiming their cheque, both women retired from their jobs at a Fredericton nursing home.

They say their first stops after cashing it in will be to a financial advisor and then a travel agent.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Andy Campbell