A construction worker from a small Ontario town has had his Canadian dream supercharged by a surprise lottery win, with the prize money set to turn a lifelong goal into reality.
A Life-Changing Scratch Ticket
Joyce George, a 44-year-old resident of Wingham, Ontario, is celebrating a $100,000 windfall after trying his luck on an Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) instant ticket. The father of two, who has lived in Canada for about five years after moving from Alberta, only began playing the lottery last year. He enjoys trying new scratch games and recently purchased an Instant Snowflake Multiplier ticket.
"It's something fun to look forward to after a long, hard day at work," George shared during a visit to the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto in December 2025 to collect his prize.
The Moment of Shock and Joy
The winning moment came unexpectedly during a routine family grocery trip. George decided to check his tickets at the store and was stunned by the result. "My heart started beating quickly and I didn't know what was going on," he recalled. He turned to the cashier for confirmation, who smiled and told him, "You're about to be one happy fella!"
The emotions hit him all at once. "I felt like I was frozen in time — confused, shocked, excited — I felt everything at once," George remembered. "I just couldn't stop smiling. In fact, I smiled so hard that my jaw still hurts!"
The joy was a family affair. His wife was moved to tears, and his son hugged him tightly. "In that moment, I truly felt like a winner – not only a lottery winner, but a winner in life," George expressed.
Turning Winnings into a Home
For George and his family, the prize has a very specific and meaningful purpose: securing their first home in Canada. The $100,000 will go directly toward a down payment, a crucial step in a challenging housing market.
"We have been living in Canada for roughly five years, and it has been our lifelong dream to own a home," George stated. He added with gratitude, "This win makes it easier for this dream to come true."
The story highlights how a moment of chance can dramatically alter the trajectory for hard-working families striving to establish roots and build equity in their new country. For Joyce George, a construction worker who builds structures for others, the lottery win means he can now finally build a permanent foundation for his own family.
