Montreal, Quebec, retiree Pierre Draws won $5 million after thinking his ticket was worth $5,000. He now plans to buy his first home for himself and his cat.
For Pierre Draws, winning $5 million means more than a major financial windfall. After living in an apartment since he was 15, the Montreal, Quebec, retiree can finally pursue something he once never thought would happen: owning a home.
Draws, who retired last year, had bought a Lotto 6/49 ticket and later checked it using the Loto-Québec app after the July 4 draw. When he first saw the amount displayed on his ticket, he thought he had won $5,000.
Then he looked again.
There were, as he put it, “too many zeroes.”
Draws had actually won the $5 million Classic Jackpot, leaving him stunned.
“I think it’s the best day of my life. Extraordinary,” Draws told Loto-Québec. “I still don’t believe it.”
The win has given the retiree an opportunity to change something he had never expected to change: his living situation.
Draws has spent most of his life in an apartment, having lived there since he was 15. Now, with his $5 million prize, he plans to buy a house of his own.
“I think I deserve a house, a more beautiful life for me and my cat,” he said.
Draws described himself as being on “cloud nine” when he collected his winnings, saying the experience was filled with excitement.
“Five million doesn’t change you, except… It’s quite something!” he said.
The winning ticket was purchased at Boni-Soir – Marché Bachir convenience store on Avenue Baldwin in Anjou. The retailer will receive a $50,000 commission for selling the winning ticket.
Draws’ $5 million win was the first of two major lottery prizes won in Quebec during July. A few days later, 10 people in Laval shared a $25 million prize from the July 10 draw.
For Draws, however, the most meaningful part of his win is much simpler: after years of apartment living, he can finally look for a home he can call his own, with his cat by his side.
