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Some people are just luckier than others.
You can put Juliette Lamour in that category. The Ontario teenager became an instant millionaire after buying her first lottery ticket shortly after her 18th birthday.
The Sault Ste. Marie resident became a part of history with the astonishing $48-million win from the Lotto 6/49 draw on Jan. 7.
The university student is the youngest person in Canadian history to win a jackpot of this size.
“I just turned 18 and my grandfather suggested I buy a lottery ticket for fun," Lamour explained.
"When I went to the store, I wasn't sure what to ask for because I had never bought a ticket before, so I called my dad who told me to buy a Lotto 6/49 Quick Pick.”
It’s safe to assume that dad will be getting some money from his daughter as a thank you for the helpful and profitable suggestion.
Lamour had totally forgotten about the ticket until news started to spread at her work that a ticket worth $48 million had been purchased in the Soo.
That’s when a coworker offered up his phone for Lamour to check her ticket through the OLG app. When she scanned it, the words “Big Winner” came across the screen and a jingle started to play.
"My colleague fell to his knees in disbelief,” said Lamour. “He was yelling, in fact everyone was yelling that I won $48 million! I didn't understand what was going on at first. I couldn't process this news. We kind of made a scene in the store that day!"
Lamour couldn’t hold back her happy tears when she called home to tell her parents the life-changing news.
Her mom couldn’t understand what was going on, but her dad pieced together that their teenage daughter had won the $48-million jackpot.
“I knew I couldn't focus on work and my boss told me I could go home, but my mom wanted me to stay and finish my shift,” she noted. “My colleagues called out 'come and get her,' and my parents eventually came to pick me up."
Fortunately for Lamour, her dad is a financial planner so she has comfort in knowing that the money will be safely put away in carefully chosen investments for now.
She says the family will develop a bigger plan for it, but in the meantime she has no plans to stop her education and still remains committed to becoming a doctor.
"I wanted to go to medical school before winning the lottery. Now I can pursue this dream without worrying about grants or loans,” Lamour explained.
“As a member of the Garden River First Nation community, I was eligible for educational assistance programs, but I no longer need those resources which means someone else in the community can benefit from that funding.”
Once she finishes her studies for this school year, Lamour will start to plan some epic summer adventures.
"Once school is done, my family and I will pick a continent and start exploring,” she said. “I am not a "sit on the beach" type of person. I want to experience different countries, study their history and culture, try their food, and listen to their language."
It’s been a whirlwind start to 2023 for Lamour, but the teen said she feels comforted knowing that she’s surrounded by the grounding love of her family.
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