Edmonton man wins $5M from national scratch lottery ticket

Donald Johannesson holds a $5-million cheque he won from a $50 Mega scratch-and-win lottery ticket. (Credit: Western Canada Lottery Corporation)

There's a new saying at Donald Johannesson's home: It pays — and pays and pays and pays some more — to travel.

The Edmonton man recently journeyed on business to Fort McMurray, where he bought a scratch-and-win ticket at his hotel following dinner.

"When I saw $5 million on the ticket, I immediately thought I was seeing things," Johannesson said in a media release from the Western Canada Lottery Corporation, adding that he checked the Lotto Spot app several times to convince himself that he really did hit the jackpot.

According to WCLC, Johannesson is the first Albertan to win the $5 million top prize on the $50 Mega ticket, a national scratch offering introduced earlier this year.

"We're going to replace the shingles and hot water tank," Johannesson said of he and his family's immediate plans for their windfall, adding they'll splurge on new flooring for their home, too, as they "don't love the carpet upstairs."

"Most importantly, our daughter will never have to worry about paying for school," he said. "It's surreal knowing that everything is taken care of financially."