B.C. couple using $1M lottery win to take African safari, visit Greece

Chilliwack, B.C., residents Debrah and Alfred Cranfield won a $1 million Maxmillions prize in the June 18, 2021 Lotto Max draw. (B.C. Lottery Corporation)

Vancouver -

A couple from B.C.'s Lower Mainland is making their dream of embarking on an African safari a reality after winning a whopping $1 million lottery prize.

Chilliwack residents Alfred and Debrah Cranfield told the B.C. Lottery Corporation they're also using some of their winnings to visit Greece, another one of their dream destinations.

The couple matched all seven numbers to win a Maxmillions prize in the June 18 Lotto Max draw, and learned about their luck the next day.

“Alf was checking the tickets when he noticed someone in Chilliwack had won,” Debrah said in a news release from the BCLC. “He got quiet for a minute and then said, ‘I think we won a million dollars!’”

The Cranfields immediately told their kids the big news.

"I can't tell you what my son said, but they were so excited for us," said Alfred, who described the feeling of beating the odds to become an instant millionaire "thrilling and shocking."

The chances of winning a Maxmillions prize or a regular Lotto Max jackpot, both of which require matching all seven numbers without using the bonus number, are estimated at about one in 33.3 million, according to the BCLC.

By comparison, the odds of being struck by lightning in Canada are said to be about one in a million.