‘I didn’t believe it:’ Nepean man wins $50K in Instant lotto prize

Denis Charest of Nepean took home the top prize of $50,000 in an Instant game. (OLG/Provided)

Denis Charest is $50,000 richer after winning the top prize from a $50 Instant ticket.

The 64-year-old Nepean resident told the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) that he’s an occasional lottery player and enjoys playing Instant games.

One day, he decided to stop at the Petro-Canada on Woodroffe Avenue and buy an Instant “Let it Roll” ticket.

“I jokingly asked the cashier to pick the winning ticket for me,” he told the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto when collecting his winnings.

“I played it at home, and when I saw all the zeros, I didn’t believe it.”

He says he showed his wife the result right away.

“She told me to go back to the gas station to validate it. When I got there, I said to the cashier, ‘Looks like you did a good job picking out the winning ticket,’” he said.

With his winnings, he says he plans to “pay some bills” and travel to Cuba and Jamaica.

“Winning is a great feeling, but it hasn’t really sunk in yet,” he said.

“I never thought this would be me.”

Renfrew man takes home $100K Encore prize

Saying yes to an Encore ticket paid off for Wade Fraser who will take home a $100,000 prize.

The 66-year-old truck driver matched six of seven Encore numbers in exact order in the Jan. 31 Lottario draw.

Fraser told the OLG he’s been playing the lottery on and off since he was old enough to buy a ticket. Over the past eight years, he says he’s been playing more regularly.

“I went to the store and headed over to the ticket checker to scan two tickets,” Wade shared at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto.

“The first one I scanned wasn’t a winner, but the second sure was. When I saw all those zeros, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing! It took some time for the win to sink in, and even now, it doesn’t fully feel real.”

Fraser says his wife was the first person he shared the news with.

“She didn’t believe me at first, so we checked the ticket together on the OLG app to make sure,” he said.

The winning ticket was purchased at Giant Tiger on O’Brien Road in Renfrew.

Fraser says he plans to make some investments and save for the future.

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