Married couple struggle to believe first big lottery win, 'I was shocked'
Douglas Schaffer and Julie Balite, of Thornhill, Ont., turned the $10 Instant Crossword Deluxe lottery ticket into $250,000 with Game #3353. (Source: OLG)
Douglas Schaffer and Julie Balite turned the $10 Instant Crossword Deluxe lottery ticket they purchased at a gas station in Thornhill into $250,000.
The couple has been trying their luck with the lottery since they married eight years ago and said this was their first big win.
"I didn't think twice when I took my phone out to scan our ticket on the OLG app to see the prize amount," Balite said. "I stood there, staring at my phone in shock. Douglas was on a call, so I started waving my hands to get his attention. When he didn't look up at me, I started jumping up and down."
Schaffer admitted he thought they had likely won $40.
"When I saw the amount, I kept saying, 'What?' I was shocked," he said.
Despite winning the top prize, the pair have struggled to believe it.
"Winning feels awesome, although you sort of keep questioning if it is really happening," Schaffer said while picking up their winnings at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto.
The couple hopes to plan a trip and invest.
What to Know
OLG requires lottery winners to sign the front and back of winning tickets and also recommends making a copy of the ticket for your records.
"Do not put additional writing or markings on your tickets as this can increase the time it takes OLG to process your prize claim," the OLG website notes.
Lottery winners have one year from the draw date to claim their prize.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Say it to my face': Singh confronts heckling protester on Parliament Hill
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh confronted a protester for calling him a 'corrupted bastard' on Parliament Hill on Tuesday.
BREAKING
BREAKING Poilievre's first chance to topple Trudeau government expected next week
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is set to get his first chance to topple Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberal government next week, CTV News has confirmed.
Why it's 'very hard' to find work in Canada
Vacancies have steadily fallen since the glut of nearly one million open posts in 2022. At the time, one in three businesses had trouble hiring staff due to a labour shortage. Since then, vacancies have dropped.
Judge orders Sean 'Diddy' Combs jailed in sex trafficking and racketeering charges
Sean 'Diddy' Combs presided over a sordid empire of sexual crimes, coercing and abusing women for years while using blackmail and shocking acts of violence to keep his victims in line, according to an indictment unsealed Tuesday.
Hezbollah hit by a wave of exploding pagers and blames Israel. At least 9 dead, thousands injured
Pagers used by hundreds of members of the militant group Hezbollah exploded near simultaneously in Lebanon and Syria on Tuesday, killing at least nine people.
Two people charged in murder of Halifax teen; police believe remains have been found
Halifax Regional Police believe Devon Sinclair Marsman, who disappeared in 2022, was the victim of a homicide and two people have now been charged in his death.
BREAKING
BREAKING Canucks' Dakota Joshua reveals he is recovering from cancer
Vancouver Canucks forward Dakota Joshua revealed Tuesday he underwent cancer treatment over the summer, and will not be ready to play when the team’s training camp begins later this week.
How to prevent lung cancer, regardless of whether you smoke, according to a doctor
More people who have never touched a cigarette are getting lung cancer, but there are ways to prevent it, according to a doctor.
Liberals need to 'redouble efforts' after byelection losses, Trudeau ministers say
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he's going to 'stay focused' on governing after being handed his second byelection upset in recent months, as members of his front bench say they’re 'disappointed' in the party's latest showing at the polls.
Shopping Trends
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
Kitchener
-
Shots fired at a home in Woodstock, multiple bullet holes found
Police are looking for the person who fired multiple gunshots into a Woodstock home on Monday afternoon.
-
Effort to get new mobility scooter for Elora, Ont. veteran struck by pickup truck
The community is trying to get a new set of 'wheels' for a Canadian Armed Forces veteran who was recently involved in a collision.
-
The Elvis of Kitchener-Waterloo has passed away
The man, who walked Kitchener streets for more than three decades dressed up as the King of Rock and Roll, has died.
London
-
Safety concerns raised after collision at Lambton County intersection claimed two lives
A Lambton County mayor is calling for action after two people were killed at an intersection in his community on Sept. 11.
-
'I have constant pain in my ankle': Residents rallying to save St. Thomas' only therapy pool
On July 10, a failure occurred in the therapy pool, leading to extensive flooding into “critical hospital infrastructure.”
-
'Sweet Memories' Alzheimer’s fundraiser reaches new heights
Tyler Donaldson spent much of his spring making and shipping maple syrup across North America.
Windsor
-
'Absolutely unacceptable': Dilkens on projected 12.9% tax increase
Windsor’s projected tax increase for 2025 is estimated at 12.9 per cent, a number Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens says must come down.
-
'Our consumers are so important to us': Ontarians urged to 'buy local' this apple season
Ontario apple growers are urging consumers to buy locally grown fruit this year as the 2024 apple season gets underway.
-
Bronze propeller worth $20K stolen during break-in
Essex County OPP officers are looking for suspects after a $20,000 bronze propeller was stolen in Leamington.
Northern Ontario
-
GoFundMe cancels fundraiser for Ontario woman charged with spraying neighbour with a water gun
A Simcoe, Ont., woman charged with assault with a weapon after accidentally spraying her neighbour with a water gun says GoFundMe has now pulled the plug on her online fundraiser.
-
'Say it to my face': Singh confronts heckling protester on Parliament Hill
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh confronted a protester for calling him a 'corrupted bastard' on Parliament Hill on Tuesday.
-
Jacob Hoggard to be transferred to North Bay Jail
With his northern Ontario sexual assault trial to begin next week, Jacob Hoggard is expected to be moved to the North Bay Jail.
Sault Ste. Marie
-
Car trouble in northern Ontario results in drug bust
Three northern Ontario residents are charged with drug trafficking after the vehicle they were in got stuck along a bush road off Highway 17 on Monday.
-
Sault man charged with threating victim with a hammer
A 50-year-old man in the Sault has been charged following an assault on Saturday that involved the use of a hammer.
-
American driver charged after northern Ont. traffic stop
Provincial police in Elliot Lake arrested a Michigan driver on Saturday afternoon for operating a vehicle while prohibited.
Ottawa
-
Trial underway for Ottawa man accused of murdering wife, injuring daughter
The trial of a man accused of stabbing his wife to death in an attack that also injured his daughter in Ottawa's west end in June 2021 is underway.
-
Baby Tkachuk: Sens captain Brady Tkachuk and wife Emma welcome newborn
Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk and his wife Emma have announced the birth of their child Ryder Keith Tkachuk.
-
Ottawa football community remembering shooting victim Quentin Dorsainvil as a 'gentle giant'
Ottawa's football community is mourning the loss of Quentin Dorsainvil, known as a rising star in the sport and a smiling, gentle giant.
Toronto
-
Toronto man charged after three women sexually assaulted at York University
Police say they have charged a 31-year-old man after three women were sexually assaulted at York University last month.
-
'Gunshots broke out': Two people dead after shooting in North York
Two men in their 20s are dead after a shooting in North York Tuesday afternoon.
-
Lotto Max jackpot now at record-breaking $80 million
The Lotto Max jackpot for Tuesday night’s draw has grown to a staggering $80 million for the first time in Canadian lottery history
Montreal
-
Business owners in Little Italy push back against Saint-Zotique Street one-way change
Tuesday morning, there was backlash brewing alongside the espressos in Little Italy. As of Monday, Saint-Zotique Street – which used to accommodate traffic in both directions – became a one-way street between Saint Dominique and Avenue Christophe-Colomb.
-
Basement apartments should be banned in flood-prone areas, Montreal official says
Basement apartments should be banned in certain parts of Montreal to prevent them from being flooded during severe weather events, a city official told residents at a council meeting Monday night.
-
SAAQ closes service centre in Montreal-North after filing complaint with anti-corruption office
Quebec's automobile insurance board said it has closed one of its service centres in Montreal after filing an official complaint with the province's anti-corruption office.
Atlantic
-
Two people charged in murder of Halifax teen; police believe remains have been found
Halifax Regional Police believe Devon Sinclair Marsman, who disappeared in 2022, was the victim of a homicide and two people have now been charged in his death.
-
Feds tell N.S. and N.B. to pay half of Chignecto Isthmus mitigation costs 'before it is too late'
The federal government says it will move on to fund other projects if the New Brunswick and Nova Scotia provincial governments don’t accept a 50/50 split in mitigation costs at the Chignecto Isthmus.
-
Nova Scotia implements new policing standards after Mass Casualty report
The Nova Scotia government says it’s modernizing its policing standards with a more effective and accountable policing model that introduces an auditing system for all policing agencies.
Winnipeg
-
'Looks like a beach here': Manitoba communities soaked by heavy rain
Significant rain Tuesday morning has resulted in road closures and overland flooding in multiple Manitoba communities.
-
'It's disappointing': Kinew responds to ousted MLA's claims of toxic, dysfunctional government
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said an MLA ousted from his caucus this week was given a choice before he was shown the door.
-
Spirit Rising House owners charged with giving cannabis to youth
The owners of a private Winnipeg foster home have been charged after allegations surfaced earlier this year that youth in their care were being provided cannabis.
Calgary
-
Facing loss of Alberta funding, halt of planned Calgary Green Line could cost $2.1B
It could cost at least $2.1 billion to end work on Calgary's first phase of its long-sought $6.2-billion Green Line light rail transit project.
-
2 men with guns at large after robbery: Alberta Emergency Alert
Mayerthorpe RCMP issued an emergency alert Tuesday morning about two men with guns on the run after an armed robbery.
-
Calgary man sentenced to six years in prison for sharing terrorism videos on TikTok
A Calgary man who pleaded guilty to sharing Islamic State recruitment videos and propaganda on TikTok will spend the next six years behind bars.
Edmonton
-
2 men with guns at large after robbery: Alberta Emergency Alert
Mayerthorpe RCMP issued an emergency alert Tuesday morning about two men with guns on the run after an armed robbery.
-
'Everything is going to be OK': First day of classes signals return to normal for young Jasperites
It was mostly with excitement that students and their families arrived on Tuesday for the first day of school in Jasper since their classrooms had been deep cleaned of wildfire ash and smoke.
-
Bats sightings in Edmonton 'quite common' in September: rescue organization
A local animal rescue organization says it has been receiving an increase in reports of people spotting bats in the Edmonton area.
Regina
-
'Refocus Regina': City councillor Lori Bresciani announces mayoral run
After eight years on city council, Lori Bresciani will challenge Sandra Masters for the job of mayor in this fall’s municipal election.
-
Appeal hearing between UR Pride and Sask. gov't set to begin Monday
Arguments surrounding Saskatchewan’s Parents’ Bill of Rights are set to move forward, with an appeal hearing scheduled to begin Monday.
-
Another person charged at Sask. private school at the centre of multiple abuse allegations
Another person affiliated with a Saskatoon Christian school embroiled in legal trouble over multiple allegations of abuse has been charged with assault.
Saskatoon
-
Another person charged at Sask. private school at the centre of multiple abuse allegations
Another person affiliated with a Saskatoon Christian school embroiled in legal trouble over multiple allegations of abuse has been charged with assault.
-
Saskatoon man Thomas Hamp fatally stabbed his partner, but is he criminally responsible for murder?
The second-degree murder trial of Thomas Hamp began Monday with the defence admitting Hamp fatally stabbed his girlfriend Emily Stanche on Feb. 20, 2022.
-
Saskatoon garage destroyed in morning fire
A garage in the Westmount neighbourhood was destroyed in a fire Tuesday morning, but the city says firefighters suppressed the blaze before it spread to house or a nearby electrical substation.
Vancouver
-
Bride's family speaks as West Vancouver woman sentenced for driving SUV into wedding party
Sixty-five-year-old Hong Xu, who drove her SUV into a crowd of people celebrating a wedding at her next-door neighbour's house in West Vancouver on Aug. 20, 2022, has been sentenced under the Motor Vehicle Act for driving without due care and attention.
-
BREAKING
BREAKING Canucks' Dakota Joshua reveals he is recovering from cancer
Vancouver Canucks forward Dakota Joshua revealed Tuesday he underwent cancer treatment over the summer, and will not be ready to play when the team’s training camp begins later this week.
-
'Certainly a wake-up call': B.C. police remind residents to lock their doors after family robbed
Mounties on Vancouver Island are warning people to lock their doors after a Nanaimo-area family was robbed of a high-end vehicle, cash, a computer and other merchandise while they slept.
Vancouver Island
-
'Certainly a wake-up call': B.C. police remind residents to lock their doors after family robbed
Mounties on Vancouver Island are warning people to lock their doors after a Nanaimo-area family was robbed of a high-end vehicle, cash, a computer and other merchandise while they slept.
-
BREAKING
BREAKING Canucks' Dakota Joshua reveals he is recovering from cancer
Vancouver Canucks forward Dakota Joshua revealed Tuesday he underwent cancer treatment over the summer, and will not be ready to play when the team’s training camp begins later this week.
-
Former B.C. teacher sent messages with 'sexual references' to Grade 7 girls: regulator
A former B.C. teacher committed misconduct when he sent inappropriate messages – including some with 'sexual references and innuendo' – to girls while he was their Grade 7 teacher, according to the professional regulator.
