Winning the lottery is rare. Winning it on the same day as someone else in your region? That's almost unheard of.
But that's sort of what happened in Quebec last week, when two residents of Montérégie each claimed a $5 million Lotto 6/49 Classic Jackpot, and both received their cheques on the same day.
According to Loto-Québec, Albert Rainville and Bernard Dupuis won in separate draws, but were each handed their prizes on April 25, for a combined $10 million payout within hours. One of them didn't even realize he was a millionaire until nearly a month after the draw.
A lucky stop at the gas station
Rainville, a retired construction worker from Saint-Hyacinthe, stopped at a local Proxi convenience store to fuel up his car. While chatting with the cashier, he joked that he wouldn't mind winning $5 million before buying a ticket on the spot.
When he returned after the draw, the same cashier scanned his ticket and quickly realized he wasn't kidding anymore. Rainville had won it all.
"When I went back to my house, let's just say tears of happiness were flowing," he said in a video shared by Loto-Québec. "It was flowing like a stream. We partied until 2:15 in the morning. We couldn't sleep."
Albert Rainville says it's always been his dream to own his opwn truck. Youtube
He celebrated with his wife and children and now plans to finally get that pickup truck he's always wanted. He also made good on a personal promise to donate to a local organization that supports women affected by violence.
A $5M surprise in Longueuil
Meanwhile, in a turn of events similar to the woman who almost tossed a lottery ticket worth $500K while cleaning her garage, Bernard Dupuis had unknowingly been a millionaire since the March 22 draw. The Longueuil resident, who regularly buys a month's worth of tickets in advance, finally scanned his stub using the Loto-Québec app — and was stunned.
He asked his spouse to double-check the number before claiming his prize. The retired print worker plans to buy a new home and head back to Hawaii.
Both retailers — Proxi and Familiprix on Chemin de Chambly — will receive a $50,000 bonus commission for selling the winning tickets.
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