Whitchurch-Stouffville’s Gary Ouellette thought it was practical joke from one of his wise-cracking friends.
Or, worse, a tele-marketer.
The caller said she was Susan Hay of Global TV calling on behalf of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario lottery.
Sure, he thought. It was 7:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Who makes a business call that early in the day?
He was ready to hang up, but decided to play along.
“What did I win, a pair of binoculars?” he asked.
“No, a big-screen TV and a set of patio furniture,” replied Ms Hay, also playing along.
Not bad, he thought.
“Are you sitting down, Gary?” Ms Hay said. “Because you won the grand prize.”
As in $1 million, given to three such winners across the province.
Later that day, he was guest of honour at a Heart and Stroke press conference in Newmarket. Officials with the charity, including council president John Taylor and area manager Maureen O’Leary, presented the oversized cheque.
“It’s still very surreal,” he said Thursday. “It’s hard to believe.”
He bought the ticket after reading a newspaper ad early this year “and forgot all about it”.
“The $100 (for a ticket) never breaks me,” he said. “And if you lose, you lose. It’s for a good cause.”
Mr. Ouellette, who has spent a lifetime helping others through non-profit organizations, was being returned the favour.
He has been the director of Shadow Lake Centre for 30 years.
Located next to Musselman’s Lake, the 300-acre centre is operated by Community Living Toronto, which works with people with intellectual disabilities.
Mr. Ouellette has also worked for the Salvation Army Children’s Village and the Culture and Recreation Ministry.
As for the money, he plans to help his two sons and daughter.
“And Shadow Lake will benefit, too,” he said. “You have to give back.”
“Hey, I drive a nice car and I have a nice house. I don’t want for anything. But there is a nice set of golf clubs I was looking at this summer.”
The Heart and Stroke lottery program has raised more than $133 million to support research projects in communities across Ontario.