$277,000 lotto win a ‘surreal moment’ for Oakville dad

An Oakville man has won more than a quarter-of-a-million dollars to put towards his dreams.

Christopher Gilbert took home a Lotto Max jackpot worth $277,618 in the Aug. 13 draw.

The occasional lottery player, who works in finance, likes to pick up Lotto Max tickets when the jackpot is high. A spontaneous decision to purchase a ticket has led him to the OLG Prize Centre to celebrate his first big win!

“I was on my way to catch the train and had a few minutes to spare, so I headed to a nearby convenience store to check my tickets,” Gilbert said, while at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to pick up his winnings.

“I used the ticket checker and saw the ‘Big Winner’ screen pop up. I didn’t believe it at first, so I scanned my ticket again and saw the same prize amount. I handed my ticket to the store clerk, saying, ‘I don’t know what to do with this!’ It was a surreal moment that left me in pure disbelief.”

Eager to share the news of his win, Gilbert called his wife.

“She was on her way home from work and wasn’t answering her phone. I kept calling, and eventually, she picked up. She was with our daughter at the time, so I shared the good news with both of them. It was such a special moment. I even picked up a bottle of champagne.”

With his windfall, Christopher plans to pay off his mortgage and travel.

The winning ticket was purchased at Canadian Tire Gas+ on Kerr Street in Oakville.