From Disneyland to Scotland: BC lottery winners share their vacation plans
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BC lottery winners in 2023 had big plans on how they wanted to enjoy their jackpots, and at the top of the list were vacation getaways.
The lucky lotto players are getting ready to visit family around the world or embark on dream bucket-list trips with their winnings. Mexico, Croatia and Africa are just a few of the destinations.
Here’s where these winners are headed.
When Shannon Stuart received a phone call from BCLC about her big lottery win, she didn’t believe the news at first.
The Mackenzie, BC, resident won the progressive jackpot of $364,969.90 after playing the holiday-themed Winning Tree casino game on PlayNow.com.
“I am going to take my twin sister on a trip to Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand,” Stuart said. “We’re going to go backpacking, so it will be a lot of fun!”
Stuart also plans to take time off work and celebrate by spending time with her husband.
Eddy Berrouard of Courtenay, BC, was enjoying a coffee in his kitchen when he decided to check his ticket for the June 17, 2023, Lotto 6/49 draw.
“I noticed there were a lot of zeros in the number,” said the avid baseball fan, who checked his ticket using the BCLC Lotto! App.
Berrouard plans on visiting his family in Quebec, purchasing a car, and travelling to Seattle and Colorado to watch baseball games. But those aren’t the only travel plans he has in mind.
“I also love Hawaii, I was there for my birthday last year and wanted to go back, and now I most likely will,” he added. “I will also share (some winnings) with my family to make sure they get to go on nice holidays as well.”
Jessica and Jesse Chandler of Chilliwack, BC, were left in disbelief after the Set for Life scratch & win ticket revealed they had won the top prize of $675,000.
“I was at home at the kitchen table and couldn’t believe it was real,” Jessica said, adding that she checked the ticket using the BCLC Lotto! App. “I immediately texted and called my husband, then my mom.”
The Chandlers plan to bring their children on a vacation to Disneyland. Part of the winnings will also be used to save for a home.
“We also never had a honeymoon when we got married, so maybe we will do that and renew our vows sometime down the road,” added Jessica.
Ruth Inglis of Maple Ridge, BC, scratched up a $150,000 prize in the Holiday Gift Pack ticket given to her by her mother. She was at home when she discovered her big win by scanning her ticket on BCLC’s Lotto! App.
“My son thought I was pranking everyone but once the dust settled, everyone realized it was a real win,” said Inglis, who added that the win will allow her to retire in the near future.
The Maple Ridge resident also plans to take her family to Mexico.
“It’s a significant amount of money. It’s surreal. This is about the family… the things we can do together.”
Murray Wallace of Salmon Arm, BC, believed it must have been a prank when he won $675,000 on his Set for Life scratch & win ticket.
“I started freaking out. At that point, people started gathering around, and I wasn’t sure how much I’d won yet,” said Wallace.
The long-haul trucker plans to celebrate the “absolutely surreal, emotional and euphoric” win with a giant pig roast with family and friends. Wallace also added that he would use part of his winnings to return to his birthplace of Scotland to see family.
Gloria Krivicich of Port Alberni, BC, was shocked to discover that the Lotto 6/49 ticket she bought for the September 21, 2022, draw had won the guaranteed prize of $1 million.
“I (can’t) believe it happened to me — a very big surprise,” Krivicich said. “My dream came true!”
The Vancouver Island resident has lived in BC for over 50 years. Krivicich hopes to use her winnings to visit family in Croatia.
A pair of Canadian lotto players are singing “Viva Las Vegas” at the top of their lungs after they scratched up a huge jackpot.
Natasha Kristensen and Jacob Lamarsh of Comox, BC, said that they will take their children on a vacation at the popular tourist destination after winning $100,000 on the Jaws scratch-and-win ticket.
“It was late at night, and I was watching TV and decided to scan it on my Lotto! App,” Lamarsh explained. “I saw we won, and I woke everyone up to tell them.”
“There was a lot of screaming and high-fives,” Kristensen added.
Myung and Jin Kim of Prince George, BC, shared that they will be drinking wine to toast to their “unbelievable” prize of $139,300.30 from Lotto 6/49.
“I saw there was a winner in Prince George, and I asked my wife to check the ticket and tell me the numbers,” Jin said. “We saw the winning numbers and discovered we matched them.”
The Kims shared that they plan on going on a major bucket-list vacation — a winter trip to Korea — and paying off their mortgage with their six-figure prize.
Diana Braathen of Vancouver, BC, is celebrating her $1 million jackpot win from the July 25, 2023, Lotto Max draw. Though she didn’t believe the good news at first.
“I checked the numbers (of my ticket) online,” Braathen shared. “The first thing that crossed my mind was, ‘Is this right?’”
She was most excited to tell her husband about her huge win, but first, she double-checked her ticket using the BCLC Lotto! App on her phone.
The retiree said that she has plans to purchase a new car as well as travel on an African safari adventure.
“Unbelievable,” she said when asked how she feels about becoming a millionaire. “This will make our retirement plans easier.”
