Restaurant worker celebrates first big lottery win
April Hess, 34, of Newmarket, Ont., won $250,000 with Instant Bingo (Game 3078). (OLG)
A restaurant employee is celebrating her first big lottery win.
April Hess, 34, often plays scratch tickets, including Instant Bingo.
After purchasing her ticket at Shell Select on Leslie Street in Newmarket, Hess said she thought she had only won $30.
"I kept playing the rest of the ticket, and I couldn't believe it when I won $250,000. I just kept thinking, 'This can't be real,'" she said while picking up her winnings from the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto.
Instant Bingo is available for $10 with a top prize of $250,000.
Hess said she showed her father, who thought she won $250.
"I said, 'No, I won $250,000."
She plans to spend her winnings wisely by investing, travelling and paying some bills.
"I will also treat my coworkers to a pizza party," Hess concluded.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW
NEW Toxic forever chemicals in drinking water: Is Canada doing enough?
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Arrest made, manslaughter charge pending in 2022 death of Calgary toddler
Calgary police have arrested a man and a charge is pending in connection with the death of a toddler in 2022.
When new leaders took over in ancient Maya, they didn't just bury the former royals. They burned their bodies in public
New archeological investigations in Guatemala reveal that the ancient Maya people had a ritual of burning royal human remains as a public display of political regime change.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
Some customers steaming after McDonald's ends free hot drink sticker program
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
Prince William returns to public duties after wife Kate's cancer revelation
Prince William will return to public duties on Thursday for the first time since his wife Kate revealed she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
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
-
Wide turns leaving Ayr residents short on patience with transport truck traffic
People living in the community of Ayr say they are dealing with a safety concern due to transport trucks travelling through their downtown.
-
Customers react to pizza as a new menu item at Tim Hortons
Pizza and coffee wasn’t what Jeet Shergill was expecting to order on his lunch break, but he saw the posters of the new menu item at Tim Hortons and decided to give it a shot.
-
'They needed people inside Air Canada': Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
London
-
London police officer charged with impaired
According to the London Police Service (LPS), a 35-year-old Constable who lives in Woodstock was arrested and charged with impaired driving.
-
Twinning of Highbury Avenue for VW Plant starts Monday
The rapid pace of infrastructure needed to build the largest factory in Canada continues.
-
Historic first meeting in 150 years yields commitment to cooperate, and to hopefully meet again
The first joint meeting by the elected councils of the City of London and Oneida Nation of the Thames saw the long-time neighbouring communities take a collaborative step forward.
Windsor
-
Family saved by organ donors encourages registration
Morgan Hurt shares a birthday with her grandfather, Bruce Rand – but it’s the fact both have received life-saving organ donations that has really solidified their special bond.
-
Gas prices set to rise 'dramatically' Thursday
Many made a dash to the pumps because experts say the price of gas is set to rise Thursday.
-
'Everyone is devastated': Hockey community mourns loss of young leader
The hockey community in Chatham-Kent and beyond is mourning the sudden death of a player caught in a highway crash this week in London.
Northern Ontario
-
Body of missing man found, northern Ontario police say
The body of a missing man has been found after his vehicle was pulled into a northern creek on Saturday morning, Ontario Provincial Police say.
-
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
-
'They needed people inside Air Canada': Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
Sault Ste. Marie
-
Sault cracking down on people who misuse accessible parking spots
For the next several months, the City of Sault Ste. Marie will be cracking down on people who improperly use accessible parking spaces.
-
Suspected drug dealer assaulted officer, Sault police say
A suspect riding a bicycle on Gibbs Street in Sault Ste. Marie this week has been charged with assaulting police, along with drug-related offences.
-
Sault suspect exposed herself, charged at police with an umbrella
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 26-year-old woman with several offences following an incident Monday morning.
Ottawa
-
BREAKINGBREAKING Fatal crash closes section of Hwy. 417 in Ottawa's east end
One person is dead following an overnight crash on Hwy. 417 in Ottawa's east end. The westbound lanes of the Queensway are closed between Innes Road and the Hwy. 174 split.
-
Here's when gas prices will drop 4 cents a litre in Ottawa
Canadians for Affordable Energy president Dan McTeague says gas prices will drop 4 cents a litre on Friday, one day after prices increased 14 cents a litre.
-
'We'd like to see it move faster': The push to increase activity in downtown Ottawa
Talk of transitioning federal buildings into housing has been in the works for a couple of years and it's a move that business leaders in Ottawa say can't come soon enough.
Toronto
-
Some customers steaming after McDonald's ends free hot drink sticker program
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
-
NEW
NEW Toxic forever chemicals in drinking water: Is Canada doing enough?
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
-
'They needed people inside Air Canada': Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
Montreal
-
Gas prices jump up past $1.90 across Quebec
Motorists are facing higher prices in many parts of Quebec as gas stations switch from winter to summer gasoline.
-
Legault still doesn't know the price of a 4 1/2 in Montreal
François Legault still doesn't know the price of a 4 1/2 apartment in Montreal, three years after getting bogged down on the issue.
-
Montreal police open fire on driver in suspected stolen vehicle intervention
Quebec's police watchdog has opened an investigation into a Montreal police (SPVM) intervention in the Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough that ended with one person seriously injured.
Atlantic
-
N.S. RCMP investigating sudden death in Bass River
The RCMP says it is investigating a sudden death in Nova Scotia’s Colchester County.
-
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
-
500 Newfoundlanders wound up on the same cruise and it turned into a rocking kitchen party
A Celebrity Apex cruise to the Caribbean this month turned into a rocking Newfoundland kitchen party when hundreds of people from Canada's easternmost province happened to be booked on the same ship.
Winnipeg
-
'Totally wrong': Winnipeg man says landlord denied life-changing medical equipment
A Winnipeg man is raising a red flag after his landlord said no to health-care equipment that could change his life – a problem he believes is a human rights issue.
-
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
-
Attempt to have murder charge quashed against alleged serial killer dismissed by judge
A motion filed by the man accused of killing four Indigenous women in Winnipeg to have one of those murder charges quashed has been dismissed by the judge – weeks before the start of his trial.
Calgary
-
Arrest made, manslaughter charge pending in 2022 death of Calgary toddler
Calgary police have arrested a man and a charge is pending in connection with the death of a toddler in 2022.
-
'Blue Sky City': Calgary unveils new brand
Calgary has a new brand and it's looking up.
-
Ranchers 'vindicated' but concerned after court forces government to share coal policy documents
It took four years in court, but a group of Eastern Slope ranchers will finally get access to thousands of pages of documents outlining when and how the province decided to tear up 44 years of coal policy.
Edmonton
-
More than 150 people reported crashes in Edmonton Wednesday
More than 150 people have reported vehicle crashes in Edmonton on Wednesday.
-
Oilers a fitting opponent for what could be Coyotes' last game in Arizona
In at least a couple of ways, it's fitting the Edmonton Oilers will be the Arizona Coyotes' final opponent before the Desert Dogs shed their Kachina-styled uniforms for whatever hues and themes may await them in Salt Lake City.
-
Spring snow stalls golfers but moisture welcomed by courses and fire crews
While snow and ice aren't ideal weather for hitting the links, a local golf course said it's happy to see some April precipitation.
Regina
-
Government, STF reach tentative agreement, members to vote
After two days of negotiations, the province has presented the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) a final offer, which will go to members for a vote.
-
Regina man says he was wrongfully evicted from seniors' facility and left with nowhere to go
A Regina man who says he was given two hours to vacate the seniors' home he lived in after being evicted should not have been forced to move in the first place.
-
SUMA conference concludes with bear pit session
The Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) conference wrapped up on Wednesday with educational sessions in the morning, followed by a bear pit session for delegates to speak directly with the provincial government.
Saskatoon
-
Sask. woman accused of driving while high in fatal crash takes the stand
The woman accused of hitting and killing a child while driving under the influence of THC was called to the stand on Wednesday.
-
Government, STF reach tentative agreement, members to vote
After two days of negotiations, the province has presented the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) a final offer, which will go to members for a vote.
-
Former Sask. massage therapist who sexually assaulted clients has day parole revoked
A former massage therapist who pleaded guilty to a string of sexual assaults has had his day parole revoked.
Vancouver
-
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.
-
Police investigating daredevil videos of 'urban climber' in Vancouver
A social media daredevil has been doing death-defying stunts in the Vancouver area, prompting safety concerns and at least one police investigation.
-
Truck driver airlifted to hospital after head-on collision with school bus: Mission RCMP
The driver of a pickup truck was airlifted to hospital after a head-on collision with a school bus outside Mission on Wednesday afternoon, according to authorities.
Vancouver Island
-
B.C. asks anglers to help eradicate this sport fish common in the rest of Canada
The British Columbia government is encouraging anglers to pack their tackle boxes and head out to a remote lake on Vancouver Island as the province attempts to eradicate an invasive population of sport fish.
-
Parents fighting to save unique Mill Bay school from returning to catchment pool
Evan Jamieson’s nine-year-old son Oliver has thrived at Mill Bay Nature School in Mill Bay, B.C., despite all of his challenges.
-
No connection between police response, man's death near Vancouver Island trail: IIO
B.C.'s police watchdog has finished its investigation into an incident on Vancouver Island, concluding the actions of officers weren't connected to a man's death.
