Winners unveiled

Louis and Jo-Anne Chikoski were so convinced someone else had won the March 23 $50-million Lotto Max jackpot, they didn’t even bother checking their ticket for days after the draw.

With rumours flying about the city about who had won the largest lottery payout in Thunder Bay history and retirement looming for Louis, a 40-year veteran of the paper mill wars at Resolute Forest Products, the Chikoskis went on with life, business as usual.

“My wife said, ‘Someone from Thunder Bay won, but it wasn’t us,’” said Louis, who collected his winnings, along with his wife, Monday in at the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation headquarters in Toronto.

“So it kind of took the wind out of our sails, because we were going to check the numbers at the same time together, when I got home from work. So when we heard that, we didn’t bother checking the numbers until Wednesday.”

But, like most lottery players, they quickly realized the top prize wasn’t the only winnings available, so the couple decided to see if the Quick Pick they’d chosen at the Good Luck Lottery Shoppe on Arthur Street had paid off.

Stunned is an understatement when the couple realized they held the lone winning ticket and were about to become millionaires 50 times over.

“We were totally overwhelmed,” 54-year-old Jo-Anne said.

“Yeah, it was totally awesome, overwhelming, shocking,” her husband chimed in.

“I thought I was in a dream and then I turned to him and said, ‘You better not be punking me,’” Jo-Anne said.

The couple, who had just five days to digest their good fortune before cashing the oversized cheque they were presented with on Monday, said they’re not sure what they’ll do with their winnings.

“Everybody has dreams and wishes and wants,” Louis said, admitting he’s having a hard time breathing since discovering they’d won.

“Right at this time there’s 1,000 things going through our minds. So I think what we’re going to do is seek financial advice on this, put it in the bank and we have to catch our breath, because this is so overwhelming, you can’t believe it.”

Knowing lottery wins have turned people’s lives around, and not always for the best, the Chikoskis promise to stay grounded with their windfall.

“We’re just like everybody else, ordinary Joes,” Louis said.

“We’re not changing,” his wife said, a sentiment quickly echoed by Louis.

“We don’t have any plans on changing the way we are. This still has to be absorbed and I imagine it’s going to take awhile to do so. It’s a pinch me, wake up, type thing.”

After thanking family members back home, Louis had one last thing to say.

“I’d like to say to my friend Grant: I told you. He wouldn’t believe me.”