B.C. taxi driver of 40 years can finally retire after huge Lotto 6/49 win
Jean Orestil and Rose-Marie Orestil-Casseus had a good feeling when they decided to check their lottery ticket.
The Victoria, B.C. residents were at a gas station when they used the opportunity to see if they had won anything on their Lotto 6/49 ticket for the March 26, 2025, draw.
The good feeling bloomed into an amazing one when Jean learned they had won $1 million from the draw.
“I was stunned; I just didn’t believe it,” he shared of the moment he realized what had happened. “I first checked myself then I passed the ticket in a joking way to the cashier to ask him to pay out the prize, as I am a regular there.”
He quickly shared the good news with his wife, Rose-Marie, who said that she was “shocked” as well.
Jean and Rose-Marie bought the winning ticket at the Shell gas station on Burnside Road West in Victoria.
Jean, a taxi driver in Canada for 40 years, and Rose-Marie claimed the prize at BCLC’s Vancouver office on April 1, 2025, which also happens to be the lottery corporation’s 40th anniversary.
The Vancouver Island couple shared that they plan on retiring and want to buy a property. Jean and Rose-Marie also said they want to help their family with their windfall.
“We have grandkids! We’ll make them happy,” added Jean.
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