Barrie woman wins big with lottery ticket purchased on a whim
![Lottery winner Margaret Gow of Barrie, Ont., holds her big cheque after winning $100,000 in the June 15, 2024, Lottario draw. (Source: OLG)](/content/dam/ctvnews/en/images/2024/7/16/lottery-winner-1-6965694-1721147212645.jpeg)
A retired woman from Barrie who decided on a whim to play a lottery game for the first time is planning a vacation with her $100,000 win.
Margaret Gow has played the lottery for decades, typically choosing Lotto Max and Lotto 6/49, and says she always adds encore numbers to every ticket.
"On this particular day, I noticed there was a Lottario draw and thought to myself, 'Why not get a Lottario ticket?' I had never played that game before," the retired grandmother says.
That last-minute decision resulted in Gow's first big win.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
She matched the last six of seven encore numbers in exact order in the June 15 Lottario draw.
"When I scanned it on the ticket checker, I just froze," she shares. "I couldn't believe it. It was a wonderful surprise. I then had the store clerk validate my ticket, telling her, 'I think I won some money."
Gow says the store clerk "went wild with excitement."
"Once it really sunk in, I was filled with gratitude, thinking of the amount of good I can do," she added.
Gow purchased her winning ticket at Zehrs on Bayfield Street in Barrie.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.7013462.1724559182!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Labour board orders rail workers back on the job as Teamsters vow to appeal
Freight trains must start rolling again first thing Monday morning, the federal labour board ruled Saturday as it ordered thousands of rail employees back to work to end a bitter contract dispute that shut down the country's two major railways.
Commercial truck plunges off bridge in B.C. Interior, driver unaccounted for, RCMP say
The driver of a semi truck and trailer that plunged off of a bridge in the B.C. Interior Saturday morning has not been located, according to police.
'Bank investigator' fraud spreading in eastern Ontario: What it is and how to avoid it
Ontario Provincial Police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre are warning people about fraudsters impersonating major Canadian banks.
Brother-in-law of man allegedly swarmed by teens says family reeling from loss
The brother-in-law of a homeless Toronto man who died after police allege he was attacked by a group of teen girls says his entire family is reeling from the loss.
Chappell Roan's comments about invasive fans show that we never really know our favourite celebrities
Sudden fame has weighed heavy on Chappell Roan, but her discomfort became untenable earlier this week. She shared two videos on TikTok in which she criticized invasive fans who have followed her around, 'stalked' her family and demanded photos or hugs in public despite Roan's resistance.
'We have won': Kenyan man granted temporary residency day before deportation order
One day before he was set to be deported to Kenya, Charles Mwangi was granted temporary residency.
Major Canadian rental company warns tenants that hackers may have their banking info
One of western Canada’s largest rental property companies is warning tenants about a cyber security breach it says was discovered earlier this year.
German police arrest suspect in stabbing rampage, official says
A man suspected of a stabbing rampage in the western German town of Solingen has been taken into police custody, a state official told German television on Saturday, some 24 hours after the attack that killed three people.
OPINION The dark side of frugality: When saving becomes an obsession
Is being frugal pushing you over the edge? Personal finance contributor Christopher Liew explains some of the downsides of obsessive frugality and offers some tips on how to balance frugal living with living your daily life.