N.B. man plans to use $15M lottery winnings to help community

A St. Margarets, N.B., man won $15 million in a lottery.

Gary Westhaver, a retired employee of the City of Miramichi, N.B., plans to use his $15-million lottery winnings to help his community.

Westhaver, a longtime lottery player, hit it big with a $15-million jackpot in the Lotto Max draw on Sept. 30, according to a news release from Atlantic Lottery.

“Everybody needs, at times in their life, a bit of help. This is what we’re going to do,” Westhaver said in the release. “Any money we donate or give to anybody is going to be anonymous. I don’t need a pat on the back for helping somebody.”

Westhaver, who is from St. Margarets, bought his winning ticket at Deals 4 U in Miramichi. He checked out his Atlantic Lottery app and said he was shocked when he saw the “major win” message on his screen.

“When I was told it was $15 million, I’m going to tell you, my stomach started to turn and my head started going,” he said. “I wasn’t positive. I don’t even know if I will be when I look at my bank account and they tell me there’s $15 million in there.”

Westhaver’s wife Sharon said the whole thing still doesn’t feel real.

“It’s so much money,” she said. “I feel good, I’m glad we had the windfall. We are going to help some people, but other than that it’s just been surreal.”

Westhaver and his wife plan to use the money to support their two grandchildren, help some local charities and potentially buy a new house.

“We just want to stay what we are, our lives can’t change,” Westhaver said. “We have fun whatever we do. Laughter and humour is, I think, the most important thing in anybody’s life.”

Sharon said she’s the same person now as she was two weeks ago.

“There’s just a few more zeroes in my bank account. That’s it,” she said.

-With files from CTV News Atlantic’s Derek Haggett

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