A group of 15 car dealership workers in Trois-Rivières, Que., are now millionaires after winning the $20 million Lotto Max jackpot last week.
The life-changing win was celebrated Tuesday when the group was officially awarded their cheque of $1.3 million each.
A statement from Loto-Québec said the winning ticket was purchased as part of a group play from Marché Express on rue de la Diversité in the municipality of Les Chenaux.
The retailer that sold the ticket will also receive a $200,000 bonus — one per cent of the total prize.
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“This is tremendous news for our region,” said Isabelle Jean, executive vice-president and chief operating officer of Lottery Operations at Loto-Québec.
“It’s wonderful to see a Lotto Max jackpot won here, and even better that it’s being shared among a team of hard-working individuals,” Jean said. “Loto-Québec has already made nearly 60 millionaires this year alone.”
Christian Dessureault, who usually organizes the group ticket purchases, was the first to check the numbers the morning they won.
“Here’s your pension fund,” he joked as he distributed shares of the ticket to his colleagues.
One worker said they planned on buying a house with the money and another — who is close to retirement age — said he decided to hand in his resignation early and was planning on going travelling with his RV.
Another, who had been searching for a used fridge before the win, now said she has her sights set on a lakeside cottage.
“You could feel the excitement at work,” said Veronique Leclerc, one of the big winners, in a statement.
“Everyone was jumping into each other’s arms,” said Jessie Lacombe-Charette, another of the winners, who all showed up to work on time after finding out they won.
In 2024, Loto-Québec awarded $1.7 billion in prizes across the province.
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