83-Year-Old Lotto Max Winner Realized She Won $60M 'Half-Dressed' At A Foodland In Ontario

A Lotto Max winner in Ontario was rewarded for her lifetime of good deeds earlier this month after scoring the $60 million jackpot in the November 1, 2022, draw.

According to OLG, 83-year-old Vera Page of Vankleek Hill has spent her entire life caring for others — she even gave her sister a kidney! And it looks like her saint-like existence is finally paying off for the great grandmother, who is now a card-carrying member of the province's multimillionaire club.

Page revealed while collecting her cheque at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto that she nearly missed out on buying the ticket after her weekly outing to the grocery store was cancelled by staff at her retirement home.

Thankfully, the matriarch's determination led her to go it alone.

"When the staff at my retirement home rescheduled our weekly trip, I got on my motorized scooter and went to the store myself," she recalled. "As I was checking out, I remembered to buy my Lotto Max and Lotto 6/49 tickets, both with Encore. When I got home, I tucked the tickets under my computer until the draw."

Page admitted she had difficulty convincing herself the jackpot was real after noticing that she had matched all seven Quick Pick numbers and had an even more challenging time convincing her family and friends.

"It was close to 9 p.m. when I called my son, Trevor, but he didn't answer his phone. Then I called my daughter-in-law, and she didn't answer either. I finally got a hold of my other daughter-in-law, but she didn't believe me and told me to go to sleep," she joked.

It wasn't until the following day that her son, Trevor, finally caught wind of what happened and raced to her apartment.

"I told him that we have to go to Foodland, where I bought the ticket to validate it and make sure I wasn't seeing things," said Page. "We were in such a rush that I put on a pair of pants over my nightgown, threw on a jacket and went to the store half-dressed! When I gave my ticket to the clerk, the bells and whistles went off, and the clerk yelled that I had won big!"

Remarkably, the former Personal Support Worker said she didn't feel overwhelmed amongst all the joyful chaos and noise.

"I felt very calm for some reason. I've been trying to keep my family members calm and grounded ever since learning of this news. They are extremely happy for me," she added.

As for what she plans to do with her money, Page has already put quite the list together.

"I want to purchase a piece of land along the Ottawa river and build a new double-family house for myself and my son's family," she gushed. "I have always wanted to experience an Alaskan cruise and am planning for that trip. The winters in eastern Ontario are cold, so I would like to spend them in a warmer climate."

"But the summers are wonderful, so I want to get a big boat that many people can sleep on and tour the Ottawa River," she concluded. "Most importantly, I will share my winnings with my family. I want to take care of their futures."

If you or someone you know is struggling with problem gambling, refer to these helplines across Canada. Support is available.