Two Oshawa residents strike it rich with January lottery wins

A pair of Oshawa residents have a combined 150,000 reasons to smile after cashing in two separate lottery wins in January.

Retired entrepreneur Vince Drago won $100,000 with INSTANT GOLD PURSUIT and plans to share his windfall with his wife and children and put the rest toward his retirement. “We will celebrate with a weekend getaway with family.”

Manon Turcotte of Oshawa is also extra ‘merry’ after winning a MERRY MILLIONS prize worth $50,000 in the January 9 draw and said she will use her winnings toward bills, future education, and a relaxing beach vacation somewhere “sunny and warm.”

Drago said he typically plays LOTTO 6/49 and LOTTO MAX and enjoys playing the occasional INSTANT game. “When I first played my ticket, I thought I won $25, but when I checked on the OLG app, I saw the big winner screen. I was shocked!” he shared while at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to collect his winnings.

The 65-year-old woke up his wife to share the news about his win. “When she saw for herself, she said, ‘Well, I can’t go back to sleep now,’” he laughed. “Sharing the news with my children was also wonderful. I loved to see them so happy – it was heartwarming.”

“I’ve never won money like this. This is a blessing.”

INSTANT GOLD PURSUIT is available for $25 and the top prize is $100,000.

The winning ticket was purchased at Real Canadian Superstore on Gibb Street in Oshawa.

Turcotte said she is an occasional lottery player and asked her husband to pick up a MERRY MILLIONS ticket for her. “My husband asked me if I checked my ticket yet, and I hadn’t, so he checked it on his phone and told me I won,” she said. “I dismissed him, assuming he was joking until I scanned it myself. I did a double take and the happy tears started.”

Turcotte said it’s an unbelievable feeling and a difficult reality to accept. “My heart was pounding. This is a great boost – it’s going to enhance our lives.”

MERRY MILLIONS was a limited-time OLG lottery game available for $20 from November 21, 2023, to January 9, 2024, featuring three $1 million guaranteed Top Prizes, three $50,000 Early Bird prizes, plus 402 additional prizes between $1,000 and $250,000.

The winning ticket was purchased at Circle K on Simcoe Street in Oshawa.

Manon Turcotte of Oshawa