Retired great-grandmother from Collingwood wins big with lottery

Florence Stewart, of Collingwood, Ont., picks up her winnings at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto after winning in the Ontario 49 Aug. 26, 2023, draw. (Source: OLG)

A retired great-grandmother from Collingwood who has played the lottery regularly for decades said finally winning big is "amazing."

Florence Stewart matched the last six of seven Encore numbers in the exact order in the August 26 Ontario 49 draw to win $100,000.

"My favourite games are Ontario 49 and Daily Keno. I always say yes to Encore," she said while picking up her winnings at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto.

Stewart said she found out she won while using the ticket checker at the store.

"I didn't believe it. I had to give it to the store clerk to double-check," she said. "When she confirmed it, she gave me a big hug."

The Collingwood woman plans to pay bills with her windfall.

"I feel great. It's really amazing," she added.

The winning ticket was purchased at Loblaws on Hurontario Street in Collingwood.