Lotto-playing snow plow operator wins $1 million in village of 300 people
A Canadian snow plow operator knew he had a significant chance of being the winner of a hefty prize after finding out that someone from his tiny community had won.
Derrek Barton lives in Harvey Station, New Brunswick, a village of just over 300 people. One lucky day, he had stopped by a store on his birthday to buy some milk.
While there, he thought it might be a good idea to buy his usual Lotto 6/49 ticket but didn’t think much about his lottery purchase afterwards.
The village of Harvey Station in New Brunswick (tourismnewbrunswick.ca)
News broke in his small community three days later: a winning Lotto 6/49 ticket had been sold in York County.
When Barton’s partner, Jean, found out, she convinced him to return to the store to check his tickets.
“When the lady at the store checked the tickets, she looked up at me, and her colour just drained,” recalled Barton. “She said, ‘Oh my goodness,’ and congratulated me, telling me I won a lot of money, so I thought I won $1,000 and that was pretty great.”
View this post on Instagram
Barton didn’t win $1,000 ā he had won $1 million in the January 6 Lotto 6/49 draw.
He recalled finding out he was the newest millionaire in York County, which was a lot to process, and he had a pretty tough time convincing Jean and his daughter that he really did win.
“I never dreamt it would be possible; it hasn’t really even sunk in,” said Barton. “I know it’s real, but I guess I’m just over-the-top happy.”
Despite the win, Barton said he has no plans to quit working as a snow plow operator ā he likes his job and coworkers. But he said that the win would help them be more financially secure.
He also plans to treat himself by buying a side-by-side vehicle, perhaps as a late birthday present.
“I’ve had a lot of friends and coworkers congratulate me and be so happy for me, and that was very overwhelming for me,” said Barton while claiming his cheque. “The things people said, it’s very nice to hear, and it really meant a lot to me.”
Barton bought his winning ticket at Fen’s Market in Harvey, New Brunswick. The retailer will receive a 1% seller’s prize.