François Masse didn’t know that a simple trip to the grocery story was going to change his life.
The Hawkesbury retiree is the latest big lottery winner in the Prescott and Russell region with a $55 million jackpot from the January 9 LottoMax draw.
Masse was just leaving the Asselin’s Your Independent Grocer store after stopping in for some purchases. Then he remembered that he had a “free play” ticket to redeem.
“I added ENCORE for a dollar, put the ticket in my wallet, and went on about my day,” he told lottery officials at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto when he went there to redeem his winning ticket.
“A few days later, I remembered I had three tickets to check, so I scanned them using the OLG app,” stated Masse. “The first ticket earned me a free play, the second ticket won me $40, and the last one was the big one. I saw the ‘Big Winner’ message on the screen and went numb with disbelief. It was like the world stopped for a minute.”
Masse recalled that the rest of the morning that day was a complete haze for him.
“It was an out-of-body experience,” he stated. “I kept telling myself it couldn’t be true. I set the ticket down on the counter and paced around the house for five minutes, trembling and wondering if it was real. Then I checked the ticket again and saw the same ‘Big Winner’ message.”
He called OLG about the prize claim process and then spent some more time thinking about his unexpected good fortune. He had spent his life in the education field before retiring and now this ticket was a new life-changing event for him.
“I just looked out my window and thought about what this meant for me and my family, my kids, my mom, and my brothers,” he stated. “I was overwhelmed with gratitude. It took about three hours to process the news before I called my family to tell them. Hearing the words ‘I won $55 million’ come out of my mouth felt even more unreal.”
At first, Masse’s family were dumbfounded at the news and he spent a bit of time convincing them it was true.
“We like to joke a lot,” he stated, laughing, “and they didn’t believe me at first. We all know we’ll commit to a joke and pull each other’s legs, so they thought I was just really committed to my prank. Even my mom didn’t believe me.”
He invited his children over to his home with a story about a late Christmas gift for them that had arrived at last. Then he had them all scan the ticket themselves to see the “Big Winner” message.
“There were a lot of happy tears,” he stated. “It was a wonderful, incredible moment to share as a family. I was filled with joy.”
Masse is working on plans for the best use of his good fortune.
“The first thing I want to do is arrange a family trip to celebrate this win,” he stated, “then I’ll plan some ‘bucket list’ travel. I’ve always dreamed of travelling to Formula 1 races all over the world. Maybe I’ll tour some NFL stadiums and catch some football, take some golf trips, and enjoy some mother-son adventures We have lots of opportunities to make memories together. There may also be a new home and car in my future. I’ve always loved horses, I never actually rode any, but I bought a stable. So when people ask if I’m into horses, well, I guess I am now.”
Making sure his family is secure is also an essential of his future financial plans now.
“Legacy is important to me,” he stated. “I want to make sure I have the right advisors to guide me before making any big decisions. This win isn’t just for me. It’s for my family and the legacy we’ll leave behind.”
