'I was speechless': Retired Ontario couple wins $23M jackpot

‘Speechless’: Ont. couple win $23M lotto jackpot A retired couple from Smithville, Ontario are more than $23 million richer tonight after hitting the Lotto 6/49 jackpot.

When Robert Donaldson left for a trip to China, he asked his wife Sandra to buy a Lotto 6/49 ticket and clean up after their dog while he was away.

Donaldson said Sandra neglected the pet clean-up duties, but is now forgiven because she picked up a lotto ticket worth more than $23.3 million.

The new millionaires from Smithville, Ont. officially collected their big prize on Wednesday. In a news release, Sandra said that even though her husband always plays their chosen lottery numbers, she decided to buy a Quick Pick ticket.

When Sandra, a retired personal support worker, realized that her ticket matched the winning numbers, she went to a store and confirmed that the couple had hit the jackpot.

Sandra waited nearly a week for her husband to return from China before sharing the great news with him.

Donaldson, a retired manager at the Hamilton, Ont.-based steel company Dofasco, recalled how his wife surprised him when he got home.

“(Sandra said) I have good news and bad news. Good news – you can get a new car sooner than you think. Bad news – we have to go see our lawyer right away!” Then she handed me the winning ticket. I was speechless!” he said in the news release.

The couple said they plan to share their winnings with their two children and two grandchildren. They also plan to get a new car, install a pool, and build a walk-in closet in their home.