Random shopping trip lands a Canadian a HUGE lottery win

Sep 17 2025, 3:41 pm

A woman from Calgary, Alta., is now $1 million richer after a shopping trip led her to a huge lottery win.

Pam Millage, the lucky winner, was on a shopping trip with her daughter, looking for a kayak, when she decided to pick up a $10 In the Money Multiplier scratch-and-win ticket.

“If we hadn’t bought the kayak, I never would have bought the ticket at the checkout, and I never would have won!” Millage said when talking with Lotto Spot.

Due to the size of the kayak, Millage opted to go to a till rather than the self-checkout, and it was there she bought the ticket.

shopping trip lottery win

Lotto Spot

“I scratched the ticket and thought, ‘This doesn’t make sense!’” she laughed. “I had to double-check to be sure I was seeing it right!”

After her win, she says her first call went straight to her children. 

“I called and made them guess how much I’d won—it took a while!” 

As for her winnings, Millage says she hasn’t made any big decisions on what to do with them yet.

“I haven’t made plans on how to spend it yet, but my son’s car just died, so I may help with that,” she said. “My husband and I are thinking about a trip overseas to see one of our kids as well!” 

All forms of gambling, including the lottery, involve risk and outcomes are based on chance. Individuals are strongly advised to gamble responsibly. If you are experiencing any signs of gambling-related issues, check out these resources.

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