After two decades of playing the lottery every Friday, Fernando P. of Cambridge is celebrating his first major win after winning a $100,000 MAXPLUS prize in the Sept. 18, 2026, Lotto Max draw. The 57-year-old automotive manufacturing worker was at home when checking the OLG app changed everything. “I looked at my phone screen and couldn’t believe what I was seeing,” Fernando recalled while visiting the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to claim his prize. “I had to check my ticket five or six times because I was in complete disbelief.” When he shared the news with his family, his children urged him to head straight to the store to confirm the ticket. Fernando, however, had other priorities first. “I told them I was going to cut the grass first and they said, ‘Are you kidding, Dad? Check the ticket first! You can cut the grass later!’” he said. Fernando plans to put his winnings toward paying off bills, supporting his two children and booking a trip with his wife. “We’re definitely going to Portugal,” he said. “It’s crazy to think an ordinary person like me could win the lottery. It’s a feeling of pure joy.” The winning ticket was purchased at Quickie on Dundas Street South in Cambridge.
