The morning after the 26 August 2026 draw, an email from Atlantic Lottery landed in Scott Ennis's inbox. In the usual rush of a St. John's weekday, he glanced at it, assumed it flagged some small prize, and got on with the day. The Lotto 6/49 ticket he and his wife, Susan Avery, had bought online would sit quietly in their account for hours longer.
A quiet email, then a very loud afternoon
It was later, at work, that the size of it caught up with him. Word was going around that someone in Newfoundland and Labrador had landed a C$5 million prize, and Ennis went back to check the tickets in his Atlantic Lottery account. That is when the screen told him what the email had understated: the couple had won the C$5,000,000 Lotto 6/49 Classic Jackpot from the 26 August draw.
On Lotto 6/49, that Classic Jackpot is the game's fixed top prize rather than a rolling total, so the figure is exactly what Atlantic Lottery advertises for matching all six numbers in the Classic Draw. Ennis and Avery matched it.
By the time Atlantic Lottery shared the couple's story publicly on 29 October 2026, they had already had weeks to let it settle. According to Atlantic Lottery, the two don't intend to walk away from their jobs right away. The plan is to keep working for a few more years, invest the bulk of the winnings, and let early retirement arrive on their own terms rather than overnight.
What a St. John's couple decided to do with it
The rest of their list is grounded and familiar: renovate the home they already live in, and help out family. Avery described the win, as Atlantic Lottery relayed it, as something that would change not only their own lives but their daughters' lives too.
In Canada, a lottery prize like this one is not taxed — the Canada Revenue Agency does not treat lottery winnings as income, so the C$5 million is theirs as won. That tax-free status covers the prize itself; what happens to any returns once the money is invested is a separate question, and one for the couple's own financial and tax professionals rather than this page.
What stands out in their story is the restraint. A C$5 million Classic Jackpot is a genuine long shot — every Lotto 6/49 line carries the same slim odds against it, and no past result or chosen number changes the next draw. Ennis and Avery didn't beat those odds with a system; a Classic Draw selection simply matched. Choosing to keep their routines, invest patiently, and change their lives gradually is its own kind of answer to a sudden windfall. You can see the full results for that night's Lotto 6/49 draw, or read how the Classic and Gold Ball draws work before the next one.
Play for fun, within a budget you set in advance. If gambling has stopped being fun, support is available through the problem gambling helpline for your province or territory — the Responsible Gambling Council lists every one on its Help for Canadians page.
Always confirm winning numbers, prize amounts, and deadlines with the official operator before acting on a ticket — the operator's published results are the only ones that count.
Sources
- Atlantic Lottery Corporation, 2026 — Lotto 6/49 game page: Classic Draw and Gold Ball Draw
- NTV (Newfoundland and Labrador), 30 October 2026 — St. John's couple wins $5 million Lotto 6/49 jackpot
- VOCM, 30 October 2026 — St. John's couple win $5M on Lotto 6/49
