Northern Ont. man claims $50K Wintario prize

A photo of Fernand Couillard of Greater Sudbury, Ont., holding a promotional check for $50,000 to accept his lottery prize after winning on the Wintario 50 draw on August 14, 2025. (Supplied/Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation)

A northern Ontario man is celebrating a substantial lottery win after scoring a $50,000 prize with the revived Wintario lottery draw.

Fernand Couillard of Greater Sudbury held a winning ticket in the Aug. 14 Wintario 50 draw.

To celebrate Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s 50th anniversary and commemorate its very first lottery game, Wintario, OLG introduced Wintario 50, a limited-time, raffle-style lottery game which offered one play for $5 or three plays for $10 and included 100 guaranteed top prizes of $50,000. The game was available until Aug. 14.

More details about Wintario 50 can be found on the OLG website.

Couillard, a retiree and longtime lottery player, told OLG officials while at the prize centre that he was enjoying his coffee at home when he checked his ticket using the OLG app and discovered he’d won big.

“It was around 4:30 a.m. and I had to move my coffee out of the way so I wouldn’t spill it after seeing the ‘Big Winner’ screen come up,” he said in a news release.

Couillard said that he soon shared the news with his children.

“They were happy and in disbelief,” he said.

With his windfall, Couillard said he will add to his savings and look into purchasing a new vehicle.

The winning ticket was purchased at Circle K on Lasalle Boulevard in Sudbury, OLG confirmed.

Play responsibly

“OLG supports safe play and wants to keep the fun in the game,” said OLG on its website.

“That’s why OLG is proud to be a leader in promoting responsible gambling with our globally recognized Playsmart program.”

Playsmart offers information on gambling games.

If you or someone you know is struggling with a problem, help is available.