Northern B.C. man to spend $2 million lottery winnings on new woodworking tools

Charlie Lake Lotto winner Timothy O’Grady is seen in this picture published by the BCLC.

Fancy cars and luxury holidays might top most people’s wish lists, but for the latest B.C lotto winner, a trip to see family and a new set of woodworking tools is more than enough.

Charlie Lake resident Timothy O’Grady purchased his ticket from the Charlie Lake Chevron on the BC-29, a shortcut highway route between the John Hart Highway and the Alaska Highway in the Peace River Regional District.

According to the B.C. Lottery Corporation, the selection made on his ticket matched all six numbers from the Oct. 5 BC/49 draw, bagging him the top prize of $2 million.

“I didn’t believe it,” O’Grady said, of the moment he discovered he would soon be millions richer.

O’Grady told the BCLC he has various plans for the life-changing cash, but first on the agenda is paying off his mortgage, visiting his family on Canada’s east coast, and bolstering his tool collection with new woodworking gear.

He’ll also have to tackle the task of informing all his family and friends as, thus far, he has kept the news of the gargantuan win to himself. The only person who has an inkling is his cousin, said O’Grady, who “knows something is up but doesn’t know the whole story.”

With $2 million in the bag, O’Grady said he can now “worry less about retirement” and “make smart decisions” for his future.

So far in 2024, British Columbians have won more than $18 million in BC/49 prizes, according to the BCLC.

The odds of winning the $2 million top prize on the BC/49 are about one in 14 million.