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North Van winner of $5M jackpot plans to keep new software job

Simon Pleau bought the ticket on a celebratory whim at Safeway in Lynn Valley
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North Vancouver resident Simon Pleau had the only ticket in Canada that matched all six winning numbers of 9, 10, 12, 17, 30, and 45 to win the March 29 Classic Jackpot. | BCLC

A North Vancouver resident, who says he doesn't usually buy lotto tickets, got one in a celebratory mood after landing a new job.

He went to the Safeway in Lynn Valley.

“I bought a lottery ticket and a bottle of champagne to celebrate the new job,” said Simon Pleau. “The draw was for that night, so when I found out I won I told my wife we have something else we need to celebrate.”

He didn’t just win, Pleau won big: $5 million in the Lotto 6/49 Classic Jackpot from the March 29 draw. Despite the huge payout, he said he plans to keep his new job as a software engineer.

Lotto 6/49 is a nationwide game drawn on Wednesdays and Saturdays after 7:30 p.m. (PDT). The odds of winning the Classic Jackpot are about one in 14 million.

In January, British Columbia Lottery Corp. reported that lottery players won more than $113 million from Lotto 6/49. The Crown corporation earned $1.3 billion in net income in its 2021-22 fiscal year.