Calgary man wins $1 million on lottery ticket bought at southeast Calgary 7-Eleven

Derek Downey of Calgary had a $1 million winning ticket in the Western Max lottery draw on Jan. 12.

Calgary — A Calgary man thought he had the winning lottery ticket sitting in his wallet, and two days after the Jan. 12 draw, he happily confirmed his suspicion.

Derek Downey of Calgary had a $1 million winning ticket in the Western Max lottery draw, which he bought from a 7-Eleven located at 103 10 Copperstone St. S.E.

"I can’t explain the feeling," said Downey in a statement.  "I just knew I had that ticket. I told my wife that I was pretty sure we won, she smiled and nodded, but I was serious. Somehow I knew it."

Downey said he checked his ticket on the mobile app, and although he already "knew" he had the winning ticket, he was still surprised.

"My wife couldn’t believe it either. She still probably thinks I’m messing with her," said Downey.

Officials say he won big afterpurchasing a $24 super pack and has a few ideas for his new winnings, starting with helping some of his family.

"We’re going to share some of the money with our family, after that, we’ll pay some bills and put the rest in savings and investments," he said.

"One day we would like to buy a retirement home in British Columbia. That’s a long-term dream we’ve had for a while."