Thunder Bay Man Hits Big with Daily Grand Lottery Win
Craig Pages of Thunder Bay, Ont., has been playing the lottery for 25 years—but nothing could have prepared him for the moment his Daily Grand ticket changed his life. On July 21, 2025, Pages matched all five main numbers in the draw, claiming the game’s second prize: $25,000 a year for life.
Instead of taking the annual payments, the 55-year-old opted for the one-time lump sum of $500,000, giving him full control over how to use the money.
Pages first realized he had won while doing a routine check on the OLG app. Usually, these checks end with small prizes, but this time, the familiar winning sound told a completely different story.
“I checked my ticket using the OLG app on my phone and realized I’d won big when I heard the winning sound,” Pages said at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto. “I was in shock! She was shocked as well. It still hasn’t really sunk in.”
The Daily Grand lottery, a $3 national game, is famous for its “for life” prizes:
-
Top prize: $1,000 a day for life (match all five main numbers + Grand Number)
-
Second prize: $25,000 a year for life (or $500,000 lump sum for matching all five main numbers)
Draws happen every Monday and Thursday, giving players plenty of chances to dream big.
Many winners prefer the lump sum because it offers immediate flexibility—whether to pay off debt, make a major purchase, or invest. In Pages’ case, taking the $500,000 upfront allows him to make those decisions on his own timeline. On paper, it would take 20 years of annual payments to reach the same amount, not counting potential investments.
Pages purchased his winning ticket at Petro-Canada on Arthur Street West in Thunder Bay. For him, winning his first major prize is a milestone decades in the making—a powerful reminder that any ticket can change everything.
Login