Order of Canada recipient from Toronto scores $25-million lottery win
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For the first time ever, an Officer of the Order of Canada (circa 2003) has won a multi-million-dollar Lotto Max jackpot.
Retiree Charles Coffey, 81, of Toronto, was the $25-million Lotto Max jackpot winner from the Jan. 31, 2025 draw.
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Coffey, who told OLG he was “overwhelmed, humbled, and filled with gratitude by this massive lottery windfall,” was visiting a neighbourhood gas station when he checked a couple of Lotto Max tickets.
“When I checked my tickets on the self-scanner, one wasn’t a winner, but the other was,” he told OLG.
“I thought I saw $25,000 and said to myself, ‘That’s interesting,’” explained Coffey. “But I didn’t have my glasses on, so I got them out, went back to check what I thought was a $25,000 ticket, and saw $25 million.”
Coffey said he went home to get a second opinion.
“As soon I got in the door, I asked a family member to help me confirm the numbers,” he told OLG.
“They read the numbers back to me as I checked them again. When we finally accepted the fact that the ticket was worth $25 million, someone suggested they take my pulse to make sure I was alive and seeing the amount of the win.”
The New Brunswick-born Coffey, who spent his career in the banking industry, has championed causes across Canada, involving Indigenous peoples, women, education and diversity.
Coffey bought his winning ticket at the Shell gas station on Yonge St. in North York.
Cruising to the win
A Niagara Falls, Ont., optometrist planned a big surprise for his wife after taking home $100,000 in the Jan. 4 Ontario 49 draw.
“Currently, my wife is on a cruise, so when she returns, I’m going to throw a big reveal party with my close friends and family,” he told OLG. “It will be a long wait, but it’ll be worth it.”
Atkinson, a father of four and grandfather of four, has been playing the lottery with OLG for 20 years. He matched the last six of seven Encore numbers in exact order.
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“A few days after I’d bought my tickets, I went back to the store to check them,” he told OLG.
“When I realized I’d won big, I must have said ‘wow’ 50 times. I was just so grateful. This prize is truly a blessing.”
Atkinson plans to help those in need, complete some home renovations, and invest part of his winnings.
The winning ticket was bought at Avondale on Montrose Rd. in Niagara Falls.
Mother and son score $100G lottery win
A mother and son from York Region are celebrating a $100,000 lottery win.
Chih-Hsiang (Jeremy) Chang, of Richmond Hill, and Wen-Ling Chang Shih, of Markham, matched the last six of seven Encore numbers in exact order in the Nov. 1, 2024 Lotto Max draw.
“My mom went to the store to check our ticket and discovered we’d won,” Chang told OLG. “When she told me the news, it was a bit of a shock, but I was very happy.”
Chang Shih added she plans to donate to charity and save for her “child’s tuition.”
The winning ticket was bought at FreshWay Foodmart on Hwy. 7 in Markham.
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