MONTRÉAL, Aug. 27, 2026 /CNW/ -- Luck smiled on eight Laurentides residents who work closely together. The group, made up of four employees and four suppliers of the Alimentation Brébeuf grocery store, took home the $2,000,000 top prize in the August 19 Québec 49 draw.
A $2,000,000 morning "joke"
- Group leader Stefano Crisafi was at Alimentation Brébeuf, located on Route 323 in Brébeuf when he checked the ticket. He quickly realized that the first selection was the winning one--and that it was worth $2,000,000!
- Since Stefano is known for his jokes, the news was met with some skepticism at first: "Nobody believed me. They all said, 'Put your wife on the phone. She'll tell me if it's true!'"
- Marie-Reine Perreault, who has been the grocery store's assistant manager for 37 years, learned the news while camping on the Côte-Nord. "Don't wake me up at 7 a.m. for a joke," she exclaimed.
- Mario Lafleur, a soft-drink delivery driver for the past 24 years, warned Stefano over the phone, "Don't mess with me this morning--it's not funny!"
- Ghislain Lacasse, who has been delivering bread in the Mont-Tremblant area for 34 years, added, "I didn't believe it at all!"
Projects for the future
The winners will split the top prize into eight $250,000 shares and already have a number of plans in mind:
- Stefano and his partner, Maryse Lamontagne, would like to explore Italy, his father's country of origin.
- Daniel Elio, a delivery driver for the grocery store, plans to visit his in-laws in France.
- Martin Vendette, a cheese distributor, will use the money to get started on his plans to build a house.
- Ginette Charette, a cashier at the grocery store, would like to move into a larger home.
- Ghislain, who is nearing retirement, plans to pay off the mortgage on his cottage.
- Lastly, Mario is considering semi-retirement, a plan he had previously put on hold.
The Alimentation Brébeuf grocery store, which sold the winning ticket, will receive a 1% commission of $20,000.
About Loto-Québec
Loto-Québec has been delivering entertainment to the people of Québec for over 55 years, and its operations benefit Québec as a whole. Last year, the corporation awarded a record $1.9 billion in prizes to winners and crowned 111 millionaires across Québec. It also paid out over 20 lifetime annuities. Major prize winners are listed on the More winners page in the Lottery Games section of lotoquebec.com. Read all about their dreams.
The responsible commercialization of lottery and gaming products is central to Loto-Québec's operations. The corporation has been granted the highest internationally recognized certification in responsible gaming by the World Lottery Association.
Source and for more information: |
Renaud Dugas Spokesperson and Media Relations Director Loto-Québec |
SOURCE Loto-Québec
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