Ontario Lottery Winner Takes Home Millions After Being 'Accustomed To Pinching Pennies'

This Ontario lottery winner couldn't believe how much she had won when the number popped up on the Big Winner screen.

Yvonne Sauve, a retail worker from Barrie, Ontario, won the top Lotto 6/49 prize of $36,449,852.60 from the January 12, 2022 draw from a Free Play, according to an OLG press release.

Sauve's coworker asked her if she had purchased a Lotto 6/49 ticket because the winning ticket was sold in Barrie, and just a few days later, Sauve found out that the lucky ticket belonged to her.

"I was at the store a few days later and while I was fiddling around with my phone, the clerk was checking my ticket. I heard her say, 'Oh my God!'", said Sauve.

"I looked up and saw the Big Winner screen, and thought, 'Oh, this can't be right.'"

Sauve told OLG she told her boyfriend and then called her sister to share the good news. While on the phone with her sister Sauve says she couldn't comprehend how much money she had won.

"When she asked me how much I won, I couldn't get a grip on the full amount, so I read the numbers off one by one – she was more excited than I was!"

The newly minted multi-millionaire says the win "feels amazing" after being "accustomed to pinching pennies." Although she recognizes it may take "some time to settle in."

Sauve plans to use her riches for her retirement and travel this summer – although the first thing she wants to do is take care of the "special people" in her life.

"When I've dreamt of winning the lottery, it was about taking care of my family and friends. I'm going to be changing a lot of lives with this money."

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