THUNDER BAY — Natalie and Clem Bigras don’t have many big plans for their $6.4-million Thunder Bay 50/50 windfall.
They do plan to visit Calgary a lot more frequently to see their son and their new grandson – after going six years without a seeing him prior to Christmas.
And, Natalie Bigras has a new ride, a Cadillac Escalade, the one thing they’ve allowed themselves to splurge some of their winnings on, the Hanmer, Ont. couple on Wednesday picking up their sizable cheque from Glenn Craig, president and CEO at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation.
Other than that, no real plans, Clem said.
“Nothing. We’re redoing our house, staying where we are,” he said.
“We’re very plain people,” Natalie said. “We love to fish.”
“We’re going to be doing a lot of fishing and camping,” Clem added.
“It’s Friday every day,” his wife chimed in.
Both Natalie, who has worked for 18 years as a city bus operator, and Clem, plan to retire, though Clem, who has been off since before Christmas following hand surgery, said he has told his boss he will help out in a pinch.
“If he really, really, really, really needs me.”
The couple drove from Hanmer, part of the amalgamated city of Greater Sudbury, to Thunder Bay – their dog Sadie along for the ride – and were greeted outside Thunder Bay Regional by hospital foundation staff, who were only too happy to turn over the record-breaking cheque, the largest hospital 50/50 pot in Canada to date.
A passerby, realizing who they were, the giant oversized novelty cheque giving it away, got in on the fun, blasting the Barenaked Ladies’ hit, If I Had $100000 as they drove past, the crowd erupting in laughter seconds later as they recognized the iconic Canadian song.
Asked if it’s sunk in yet, Clem held up the real cheque.
“It has now,” he said.
The couple teared up as they recalled giving the news to their three children. Their daughter was on the phone during Craig’s phone call to Natalie on Jan. 3. One son got the news when he touched down in Toronto, on his way home to Calgary from his visit to Hanmer.
The second son only found out about it hours later, when he came up from underground, working his mining job.
“He had a problem with his drill and as he came up to the surface he came by a wi-fi station and he said his phone was just going ballistic. He saw my text, ‘You’re a millionaire, call me.’ He called me up and said, ‘What’s going on?’ I said we won the Thunder Bay 50/50 and he just started crying.”
The Bigras’ plan to give each of their children at least $1 million out of their winnings.
The January Thunder Bay 50/50 draw is nearing a $1-million prize after just five days. Tickets are on sale at the 50/50 store at Intercity Shopping Centre or online at www.thunderbay5050.ca.
The draw date is Jan. 31.
