"Pretty life-changing": Alberta woman wins major lotto prize while vacationing in BC

A woman in Alberta who bought a Lotto Max ticket while visiting BC in the spring was shocked to learn she won a whole lot of money!

Lana Burrell of Calgary was in Lake Country, BC, in April and decided, on a whim, to pick up a Lotto Max ticket at the Save-On-Food on Main Street while she was grabbing a few groceries.

But she didn’t realize she won until she got home to Calgary.

Lana Burrell/BCLC

Turns out she took home an “extra” special memory from her trip — A Lotto Max Extra ticket from the April 22, 2022, draw worth $500,000.

“I was at home and downloaded BCLC’s Lotto! App,” she explained. “It said I was a winner, but I didn’t believe it, so I re-checked the numbers on the computer… I was so excited!”

Burrell says, at first, her husband didn’t believe her.

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She was in shock and says she now has plans to retire in the near future thanks to her prize and looks forward to taking some online classes for some further education.

“This win means the possibility of retirement and that is pretty life-changing,” she added.

So far this year, BC lottery players have redeemed more than $23 million in winnings.

Earlier this week, BCLC was reminding people to check their tickets from a Lotto Max draw last summer. There is a $15 million unclaimed ticket out there.