For years, Rodney McFadyen of Provost and Derek Marsh of Edmonton had a simple routine. The two friends took turns buying a weekly Super Pack ticket, never imagining it would one day turn into a multimillion-dollar win.
The lucky ticket was purchased by McFadyen at Provost Fas Gas on 57th Avenue in Provost. He had used a previously won Free Play ticket and didn’t think much about it afterward.
A few days later, while at work, McFadyen heard there were two Lotto Max jackpot winners from the previous draw—one in Alberta and one in Quebec. At first, the news barely caught his attention.
That changed the moment he started scanning the tickets.
“I saw $12,500,000 and completely froze,” McFadyen recalled. “I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.”
A Call That Changed Everything
After realizing they had hit the jackpot, McFadyen quickly contacted Marsh. The problem? Marsh wasn’t convinced right away.
“He’s pulled jokes like this before,” Marsh said with a laugh. “But once I checked the numbers myself, I lost it.”
The excitement was so intense that Marsh’s smartwatch tracked nearly seven kilometers of pacing over the next several hours.
Still Feeling Unreal
Even weeks later, both men admit the win hasn’t fully sunk in. McFadyen described the experience as an “emotional roller coaster,” while Marsh says it still feels surreal.
What’s Next?
For now, the friends are keeping things practical. Instead of making any big purchases right away, they deposited the money and plan to carefully think through their future plans.
A few things they're considering:
- Taking time to plan their next chapter wisely
- Sharing their good fortune with family
- Enjoying the moment before making major decisions
Of course, there’s still room for a little fun.
The friends joked about taking a trip to Aruba and leaving their wives at home with a stack of Scratch & Win tickets to stay entertained until they returned.
Behind the laughter, however, their biggest priority is family. Both men say they intend to support their wives and children and make sure their incredible lottery win benefits the people closest to them.
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