Last month, we learned that someone had won a $55 million lottery jackpot in Ontario. Now, we finally know who they are — a couple who’s been trying their lotto luck for a quarter century.
New multi-millionaires Laurene Shail and Doltan Hawk are from Milton, making them the fourth Ontarian party to win the $55 million Lotto Max jackpot since April.
Laurene and Doltan are partners who began playing the lottery in 2009. On June 14, they won the massive prize, which made their dreams come true.
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The couple visited OLG’s prize centre in Ontario to pick up their windfall and share their story.
Discovering the lottery win
Doltan checked the lucky ticket (bought at Convenience 4 U on Wilson Drive in Milton) using the OLG app the day after the draw.
“I didn’t know what I was seeing, so I called out for Laurene. I told her to pull out her phone and check the ticket herself,” he shared. “I was checking to see the number of winning tickets and said, ‘It can’t be!’ I didn’t know what to do.”
Laurene had “one foot in the shower” when she heard her life and lotto partner yelling out. Because he was shaking, she thought something might’ve happened to him. When she asked him if he was okay, Doltan asked her to check the lottery ticket and ran to fetch her glasses.
“Then I thought he was pranking me,” Laurene chuckled. “I put on my glasses and thought, ‘This can’t be real! This can’t be happening to us!’”
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Still startled, the couple headed to the store to validate their ticket and get the final reassurance they sorely needed.
“The lottery terminal froze, and I noticed the store clerk was shaking. Next thing we knew, OLG was calling to talk to us. It was then that reality set in. We had the winning ticket,” shared Doltan, reminiscing.
Laurene remembers her mouth going dry from shock: “The store clerk was incredibly kind and brought me a bottle of water.”
“The first thing that went through my mind was the impact this would have on our children and grandchildren. They’re our world!” she said.
Then, the couple headed straight to Laurene’s mom’s house. “She couldn’t believe it, placing her hands over her face when we told her. We turned on the TV to show her the winning ticket had been sold in Milton, and while she was certainly shocked, she was happy beyond words for us,” Laurenne said.
“When we told our family, they looked at us like we had two heads,” Doltan laughed. “We have family all over the province and have had some fun conversations with even more special moments to come, the kind of moments that will fill my heart for a lifetime. Everyone has been so supportive and happy for us. It’s been a humbling experience.”
After the win
Once they’d shared the news of the win with the people they love the most, the couple had one last thing that needed to be done: officially retire.
Laurene worked in logistics, and when she told her supervisor she would retire, they asked if she had won the lottery.
“I couldn’t help myself,” she smiled. “My answer was ‘Yes, I did!’”
“We are both officially retired,” the couple shared contently.
The winners hope they remain the “regular people” they were before the multi-millionaire status kicked in. Laurene says the ultimate plan is to “take care of family.”
“We want them to feel the joy with us. They deserve it as much as we do. They deserve to not have to work multiple jobs and can now spend more time together as a family, which is how it should be,” she said.
The couple looks forward to buying a new home close to the family they adore.
“Doltan wants to treat himself to a new fishing boat so he can spend his days on the water, and I would like to enjoy some travel,” shared Laurene. “I have always wanted to visit Italy and Australia. I look forward to exploring the world with our family.”
The lucky Milton residents wept at the OLG Prize Centre, reflecting on their newfound fortune.
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“When you grow up with nothing and work hard for everything you have, a win like this is incredible,” said Doltan.
“It is a dream come true to be able to help our family. It’s been an emotional rollercoaster. It’s a process that starts with disbelief and ends in pure joy,” added Laurene. “We are so happy, and our hearts are full.”
Doltan stressed that the win will not change them as people.
“I’m still going to be quiet, shy Laurene. I’ll just have the biggest smile on my face,” Laurene added.