An 81-year-old man has become B.C.'s newest multi-millionaire after winning a massive lottery jackpot – a fortune he intends to share with his family.
Burnaby resident Marcello Battiston said he hasn't made a lot of firm plans for his $25.9-million Lotto Max prize, but he and his wife will be celebrating with a trip to Hawaii.
"And she wants a new kitchen," he added. "She's a good cook."
Battiston, a retired BC Hydro worker, picked up his ceremonial oversized cheque from B.C. Lottery Corporation headquarters on Tuesday, but his lucky draw was back on March 10.
The senior said he wanted to get his ducks in a row before claiming the life-changing prize.
Battiston told reporters he first learned about his good fortune after returning home from church on a Sunday last month.
"My wife was playing with the computer and says [the winning ticket was sold] in Burnaby," Battiston said.
He immediately went out to the store to check his ticket, and the clerk who helped him was as surprised as he was.
"What happened, I said? I got $5,000? No, he says, you got the jackpot!"
Battiston, a father of two and grandfather of five, said he's excited that he won't have to worry about money anymore, but that he was a fortunate man long before he became a millionaire.
"I was lucky. I raised my family I worked all around the province here," he said.
The odds of winning a Lotto Max jackpot are roughly one in 28.6 million, according to BCLC
