"I was stunned": Plumber to pay off mortgage after life-changing lottery win

An Ontario man just cashed in on a huge prize after realizing that he had purchased a winning lottery ticket.

For Denfield resident Wesley Pickles, buying a lottery ticket is a regular weekly routine. However, he wasn’t quite expecting the result on the screen when he decided to check the lottery results.

“I was stunned when I scanned my ticket using the ticket checker,” said the 45-year-old who works as a plumber.

After discovering how much he won, he immediately told his wife.

Wesley Pickles/OLG

“She didn’t believe me,” said Pickles, who was thrilled to learn that he had managed to match all seven Encore numbers in exact order in the November 12, 2022, Lotto 6/49 draw. His prize: $1 million.

It’s a life-changing win for Pickles who’ll be putting the money to good use. Now a million dollars richer, he said that he plans to put the money towards his mortgage and pay off some bills.

While at the OLG Prize Centre to pick up the big cheque, he said, “It feels good!”

Pickles bought his winning ticket at Ilderton Food Market on Ilderton Road in Ilderton.