The $70 million Lotto Max winners kept the prize a secret from their family for two months

For nearly two months, Doug and Enid Hannon of Lakefield hid a big secret from their entire family: a $70 million secret.

The couple, who have been married for 51 years, are Ontario’s newest multi-millionaires after winning the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot in the Feb. 20 draw.

At a special winners party near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret hidden for so long.

Although Enid bought the Quick Pick Lotto Max ticket at a supermarket while on his way to their camp, it was Doug who discovered the big win the day after the draw when he checked the ticket in the OLG app.

“I was completely unaware that a winning ticket had been sold in our region. So when I saw “Big Winner” on the phone screen, I trembled. My heart pounded. I had to stare at it for a while and process all those zeros. Then I had to check it a few more times.”

Doug, who has been retired for a few years, decided not to say anything to his wife until she got home from work.

“I went to the garage and wrapped my mind around some work as I struggled with disbelief and thought about our next steps,” said Doug. He made sure dinner was ready when Enid got home and waited until they had eaten to share the news.

“Doug told me to come to the computer room, and the OLG website was on the computer screen. He told me to check the numbers on the ticket. When I realized we had won a prize, at first I thought it was a $70,000 win. Doug told me to add all the zeros, and then it dawned on me that we had won $70 million,” Enid said.

That is the moment when the emotions are released.

“We hugged and cried and started talking about this wonderful opportunity we now have to help family and others,” she said.

The couple decided to keep this multi-million dollar victory between themselves for a while – even keeping it a secret from their adult children and grandchildren.

They agreed to seek financial and legal advice first as they began making plans for the money.

It was hard for Enid not to tell anyone because she is very open and expressive with everyone who knows her.

“Keeping this secret was killing me,” she said.

About a week before receiving their prizes at the winners party, Doug and Enid finally told their children and grandchildren about their good fortune. Everyone was in disbelief and extremely happy for them.

During the celebration, the couple shared some of their plans for a share of the money.

Doug, who loves the outdoors, said he wants to travel.

“I would like to travel across Canada and experience the beautiful nature of this country from coast to coast,” said Doug.

Enid, who is about to retire, is excited about starting some long-awaited renovation work on their home.

“I’ve been dreaming about a new kitchen for years, and now I’m getting it, along with some other home improvements, because we love where we live and don’t want to move,” she said.

The couple both agree that their family is the first priority for this money.

“Our family is the most important; we want to share this with them. I want to make sure everyone is safe and well taken care of.”

They also plan to share some of their profits with community causes close to their hearts.

At the end of the winners celebration, the Hannons decided to reveal the secret to their extended family members. They invited them to a special family gathering where they revealed the $70 million winnings and the promise of a big family outing to celebrate together.

“This is truly a blessing for us and our family,” said Enid and Doug. “Like many people, you always hope to win the lottery, but we never dreamed that this would happen to us. We are so very grateful.”

The winning ticket was purchased at Kinmount Independent Grocer located at 121 Kawartha Lakes County Rd in Kinmount.