Canadian to gift his wife her dream home after $34-million lottery win
An Ontario couple’s life-changing lottery win could be the perfect plot for a feel-good romcom.
After 36 years of marriage, Cache Bay residents Joe and Lise Menard still cherish their regular Friday date night, which involves dinner, a stop at the store to buy their weekly lottery tickets, and spending the rest of the drive home musing about their hopes and dreams.
This seemingly mundane routine paid off, turning the pair into Canada’s newest multimillionaires after they won the $34 million jackpot in the Lotto 6/49 Gold Ball draw on June 21, 2025.
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Joe and Lise recounted the events leading up to the amazing lottery windfall at a winner celebration in Toronto, holding hands throughout the festivities.
“We always buy our lottery tickets on Friday as part of our date night,ā Lise explained. āWe happened to stop at a gas station, and I had some old tickets in my purse, so I asked Joe to check them after he finished pumping the gas.ā
Joe said he asked the store clerk to check the tickets. They didn’t turn out to be winners, but the clerk asked if Joe wanted to replay them.
“I usually get new tickets using Quick Pick, but this time I replayed the old ones. When I heard on the news that the Lotto 6/49 Gold Ball ticket was sold in Northern Ontario, I had a premonition that we had the winning ticket,ā he recalled. āIt wasnāt until later that evening that Lise checked the tickets on her phone with the OLG app.ā
Lise said she was in disbelief when she saw the winning message on her phone. āI almost had a heart attack. I kept saying āJoe! Joe! Joe!ā At first, he thought we had won $34,000 and I kept telling him to look at all the zeros!ā
The retired couple wanted to share the incredible news with their grown children right away.
āThey couldnāt believe what we were telling them,ā said Lise. āThey thought we were playing a joke on them, but when I sent them a screenshot of the $34 million message from the OLG app, they started screaming. They were so excited for us.ā
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The husband and wife first met when Joe took Lise to her high school prom. They’ve been inseparable ever since.
Though they have both worked hard all their lives, they say they have always watched their pennies carefully.
Both are relieved, saying that this lottery win will make life a little easier for their family.
“The big thing for us was to take care of the kids the best way we can,ā said an emotional Lise. āNow my kids will be taken care of ā no more worries. When someone needs something, we will be there to help.ā
Besides helping their family, the couple also wants to treat themselves.
They plan on travelling across Canada, aiming to visit each coast and stop at all the great Canadian cities in between.
Joe wants to make good on a promise he made to Lise all those times they drove home from date nights.
āIāve always wanted to give her a dream home, and now sheās going to get it,ā he said.
Lise says thereās one very special thing she wants in that new dream home: āIāve always dreamed of having a big harvest table so we can all sit together for family meals and entertain more during the holidays. No more sitting all over the house ā now weāll be all together.ā
Joe, a retired mechanic, still loves working on vintage cars and will be making a special purchase. “Since I was 16 years old, I have been dreaming of hot rods, and now Iām going to get one!ā
The former mechanic has another promise to his wife he wants to fulfill. Lise proudly wears a large fake diamond ring that Joe made as a joke gift for their 15th wedding anniversary, crafted from a steel nut welded onto a big novelty crystal.
āSheās going to get a real diamond ring now for putting up with me all those years,ā Joe said with a twinkle in his eye.
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The Menards are only just beginning to settle into their new reality after the transformative lottery win. Regardless, they both say that their love for each other and their family has always been strong and will remain that way.
Lise became very emotional when describing their lives together. āJoeās favourite saying is āWhat Momma wants, Momma gets.ā Even though we didnāt have much, heās always given me what I wanted and has never shied away. Heās my best friend, and he will always be.ā
Joe, who likes to joke around, said, āNow that weāve won this money, people may want to change the name of our small town ā between Sudbury and North Bay ā from Cache Bay to CA$H Bay!ā
The Menards bought their winning lottery ticket at Arrowhead Gas Bar on Osprey Miikan Road on Nipissing First Nation, near North Bay.
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,Ā check out these resources.