Rhonda Starkell couldn't sleep, so at 2:30 in the morning, the Edmonton woman went online to check her Lotto 6/49 numbers.
She'd won $1 million.
"I went onto WCLC's website and was checking my numbers and then woke up my partner and said, 'I think I just won the lottery,'" Starkell told the Western Canada Lottery Corporation.
Her partner checked the ticket, agreed it looked like she'd won, and went back to sleep. Starkell stayed up.
"I tried to get back to sleep, but couldn't," she said. "I was in complete shock."
Two birthdays on the same day
The timing gave the win extra meaning.
It came on the same day as two family birthdays: her grandson's, and her late father's.
Mortgage first, then maybe Greece
Starkell's plans aren't flashy.
"Pay off the mortgage, get a new vehicle, invest the money, and maybe take a trip to Holland and Greece," she said.
The winning ticket
Starkell won the $1 million prize in the Wednesday, Sept. 2 Lotto 6/49 draw.
She bought her ticket at Dolar Drug Mart, at 13211 132 Street NW in Edmonton.
Her winning number was 34907137-01.
That isn't the usual six Lotto 6/49 numbers. The Classic draw that night was 6, 8, 9, 14, 17 and 25, with 16 as the bonus. Starkell didn't match those. She won through the separate Gold Ball draw, which uses a 10-digit number printed on every ticket.
How the Gold Ball draw works
Every Lotto 6/49 ticket gets a shot at two draws: the Classic and the Gold Ball.
In the Gold Ball draw, one ticket number is picked, so there's a winner every time. Then a ball is drawn from a drum of white balls and one gold ball.
A white ball means the winner gets $1 million. The gold ball means the winner gets the full Gold Ball jackpot, which starts at $10 million and grows until it's won.
On Sept. 2, the ball was white.
Is it taxed?
No. Lottery winnings in Canada generally aren't taxable income, so Starkell keeps the full $1 million.
That changes once the money starts working. Since she plans to invest some of it, any income those investments earn will be taxable.
Alberta's other recent $1 million winner
Starkell is the second Albertan in a few weeks to win $1 million on Lotto 6/49.
Julio Benitez of High River won the Aug. 22 Gold Ball draw, also on a white ball. He found out while filling up for gas in Calgary. When the ticket checker's screen went black, he thought he'd broken the machine. Read that story here.
In Nova Scotia, a Halifax couple won $1 million just after paying off their wedding. Read that story here.
Check those old tickets
In Western Canada, Lotto 6/49 and other draw tickets expire one year after the draw date. A ticket forgotten in a wallet, coat pocket or junk drawer is worth checking before you throw it out.
If gambling is causing problems for you or someone you know, Alberta's Addiction Helpline offers free, confidential support 24 hours a day at 1-866-332-2322.
Sources
Lotto Spot, Western Canada Lottery Corporation, Rhonda Starkell winner announcement, October 2026
Lotto 6/49 results, Western Canada Lottery Corporation, September 2, 2026
Amounts that are not reported or taxed, Canada Revenue Agency
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