Man says $1M lotto win will take him `to retirement and beyond'

A Nisku area man says he felt a tinge of disbelief before a wave of relief swept over him upon learning he is northern Alberta's latest million-dollar lottery winner.

“I wasn't quite as shocked as I thought I'd be,” said Michael Whitehead in a release from Western Canada Lottery Corporation. “I felt a bit of disbelief, but mostly I just felt relief — so much relief.”

Whitehead bought the winning ticket at Nisku Petro-Canada, 208 19 Ave., in the tiny hamlet surrounded by the area's booming industrial and business park, about 27 km south of Edmonton.

“I'm used to seeing a couple dollars or `free play' on the screen,” added Whitehead about checking his ticket at the store the next day. “When I saw all of the zeros, I scanned it again and again to make sure it wasn't a glitch.”

While Whitehead said he will not fritter his windfall away, he does plan to initially spend a portion on friends and family.

“I told my buddy I would take him and his kids to Disney World,” he said.

“I also want to take my dad to Scotland and see Las Vegas. The trips will be the only `frivolous spending' I do with this money. I'm not about to sit on a yacht and eat grapes all day. I'm going to make sure this takes me to retirement and beyond.”

Whitehead won his million-dollar prize on the Jan. 17 Lotto 6/49 Gold Ball draw.

Meanwhile, the lottery corporation is looking for another Alberta $1-million winner after a ticket purchased in March of 2023 somewhere outside Calgary and Edmonton went unclaimed.

The ticket was for the March 8, 2023, Lotto 6/49 Gold Ball draw.