Skeptical family finally comes around on Halton Hills resident’s $1 million win

A Halton Hills woman had trouble convincing her family she won a $1 million Lotto 6/49 prize, but they finally came around.

Barbara Metelka, 71, said she’s been playing the lottery for several years and enjoys Lotto 6/49 and Lotto Max, and typically uses quick picks.

“I spare a few dollars on tickets each week,” she shared. “I always hoped to win big!”

The retiree discovered she won the Gold Ball Draw on May 24 when she received an email from OLG.

“I had trouble believing it was real,” she said, while at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to pick up her winnings. It wasn’t until she logged into her OLG.ca account that she realized she was, in fact, a winner.

The 71-year-old revealed the news to her family. “They were skeptical at first, but they were so happy for me.”

Metelka hasn’t made any major plans with her win just yet, but she’s considering planning a vacation.

“I don’t know how to put it into words. I’m very relieved, but it still hasn’t fully set in.”

The winning ticket was purchased on OLG.ca.