Montreal Woman Wins CAD 1,000 a Week for Life

A lucky young woman from Montreal has won a prize that will change her life forever, eliminating future financial worries. This was all thanks to a Gagnant à Vie ticket that will ensure she gets CAD 1,000 ($725.3) a week for the rest of her life.

The Woman Won a Life-Changing Prize

The winner was identified as Brenda Aubin-Vega, 20, who bought a Gagnant à Vie during her break from work. The young woman couldn’t believe her luck when she discovered three piggy bank symbols on her ticket, which meant that she had won the game’s top prize.

For context, Gagnant à Vie winners are eligible to receive CAD 1,000 a week for the rest of their lives. Alternatively, winners can choose the lump cash option and take a one-time payment of CAD 1 million ($730K) instead.

While lottery winners generally prefer the lump sum, Aubin-Vega preferred the annuity, saying that she’d like to use the steady cash flow to buy a home.

In an interview with Loto- Québec, the woman said that she couldn’t believe she won. She was so excited that she immediately called her father. Afterwards, she took the day off to truly allow the fact to set in.

The lottery noted that the ticket was purchased at Dépanneur Jen & Dan on Rue Poirier in Montreal. The store will receive a CAD 10,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.

Most, But Not All, Choose the Lump Sum

As mentioned, most lottery winners choose the lump sum for a variety of reasons. These can include a need for immediate expenses, investment opportunities, or even fears that the lottery may go defunct. The latter case is exactly what happened to the recipient of the Publishers Clearing House (PCH) “$5,000 A Week Forever” prize once the PCH went bankrupt.

However, this hasn’t stopped players from betting on long-term prizes. Recently, an Ohioan who won $2 million from the lottery opted to go with the annuity and receive installments of $80,000 a year for 25 years.