'Overwhelming': B.C. woman and sister to share $5M lottery jackpot

Heather Andrews, who lives in Sidney, B.C., and Gwen Leeder of Stittsville, Ont., are winners of the Lotto 6/49 jackpot. (BCLC)

A Vancouver Island woman and her sister in Ontario plan to travel together after winning a $5-million B.C. lottery jackpot.

Heather Andrews, who lives in Sidney, told the B.C. Lottery Corporation she was home watching TV when she decided to check her ticket for the Oct. 23 Lotto 6/49 draw.

"I looked at the ticket and checked (online) two or three times and then sent the picture to Gwen," Andrews said.

But it would be several hours before Gwen Leeder, who lives in Stittsville, Ont., would see the text message as she was already in bed for the night.

"We started laughing," Andrews said, recalling their phone conversation the next morning.

Leeder has already quit her job and the sisters plan to explore the East Coast together, as well as helping out their family and friends.

"Overwhelming, surreal and fantastic," Leeder said of the win. "Our dream was to travel together."

Andrews purchased the winning ticket at the Pharmasave on Seventh Street in Sidney. The sisters claimed their $5-million prize on Monday at BCLC’s Vancouver office.

B.C. lottery players have redeemed more than $100 million in winnings from Lotto 6/49 tickets in 2023, according to the lottery corporation.

The odds of winning the Lotto 6/49 jackpot are one in 13,983,816, while the odds of winning a gold ball or guaranteed $1-million prize vary depending on the number of tickets sold for each draw.