Shaun Ryan is already retired. After winning $50 million, his wife can join him.
The Dalhousie, New Brunswick, man won the $50 million Lotto Max jackpot in the Friday, Nov. 6 draw. Atlantic Lottery identified Ryan as the winner in a Nov. 10 announcement.
His wife, Colette, is a teacher. Ryan says the money means she can finally retire and travel.
We reported earlier that the only winning ticket had been sold somewhere in Restigouche County. Now we know where: the Circle K in Dalhousie, a small town on Chaleur Bay at the northern tip of the province.
He didn’t want to check
When word spread that the winning ticket had been sold in his county, Ryan held off on checking his own.
“My wife asked if we had a ticket and then my son texted me and asked if we bought one,” he said. “My wife asked if I was going to go check it and I said, ‘No, not yet. I want to keep the dream alive.’”
When he finally checked at home, all seven numbers matched.
“Boom, boom, boom,” he said. “My heart was racing.”
Family first
Ryan and his wife have different plans for retirement. Colette wants to travel. Ryan plans to stay home with the family dogs.
He also wants to make sure his seven children and his grandchildren are taken care of.
Then the community
Ryan says that kind of money comes with a sense of obligation.
“There’s a responsibility I feel toward the community and organizations that I want to be of service to and help them out in certain ways,” he said. “Fifty million dollars is a heavy load, and there’s a lot to think of because there’s a lot that could be done for the community.”
The announcement didn’t name the organizations he plans to support.
“It’s just unreal,” Ryan said. “It’s a little overwhelming, but I’m happy to have the chance to feel it.”
The store gets $500,000
The Circle K in Dalhousie that sold the ticket gets a seller’s prize of one per cent of the jackpot, or $500,000.
17 days after Calgary’s record
Ryan’s win came 17 days after Canada’s largest lottery jackpot ever. In the Oct. 20 Lotto Max draw, four friends from Calgary split $90 million, taking home $22.5 million each.
Read our story on the Calgary winners.
Another northern N.B. winner nearly missed out
Ryan held off for a little while. Another northern New Brunswick winner waited almost a year.
Merel Chiasson, a crab fisherman from Bas-Caraquet, bought a Lotto 6/49 ticket for the April 15, 2023 draw. It sat on his bedroom dresser with his other unchecked tickets for 347 days.
When he finally checked, it was worth $64 million, the largest lottery prize ever claimed in Atlantic Canada at the time. According to Atlantic Lottery, there were only 19 days left before the ticket would have expired.
Is $50 million taxable?
No. In Canada, lottery winnings aren’t taxable income, so Ryan keeps the full $50 million. Any interest or investment income he earns from the money is taxed like any other income.
Lotteries are a game of chance, and most tickets don’t win. If gambling stops being fun for you or someone you know, the Alberta Addiction Helpline is free and open 24/7 at 1-866-332-2322.
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