CONGRATULATIONS TO LUCKY WINNER!



William Mason displays the cheque for more than $10 million he received at Atlantic Lottery Corporation headquarters in Moncton on Monday.
William Mason, a laid-off delivery truck driver, received a cheque from the Atlantic Lottery Corporation for more than $10 million Monday afternoon after holding one of the two winning tickets in Friday night's Lotto Super 7 draw. Mason shares the $20-million prize with a winner from Quebec.
He found out he was $10,001,693.30 richer Saturday afternoon when he checked his ticket at home. The win is the largest sum paid out to a lottery winner from the city.
"I was ecstatic and did my happy dance," Mason, 46, said in a phone interview from Atlantic Lottery's offices in Moncton.
For a prize of this size, the winner needs to claim it at one of the corporation's offices, said Robert Bourgeois, a public affairs specialist with lottery corporation.
"They come here and there's a security review that is done to make sure everything validates," Bourgeois said. "That can take up to three hours."
Mason didn't have any photo identification, so Monday morning he went and got one before going into the office.
"It's very nerve wracking," he said of waiting for the review process to be completed.
As for the winning numbers of 4, 11, 20, 25, 32, 40 and 43, Mason said they don't hold any special significance to him and he doesn't play the same numbers every week.
"I change them all the time," said Mason, who's been playing the lottery for more than 20 years. "Basically, they're randomly picked.
"I never had good luck (playing the same numbers) and I knew one day I would have good luck with this."
He was not alone in his joy on Monday. Three of his five children accompanied him to Moncton and so did his three grandchildren. One of his daughters remained in Saint John while his son lives in Edmonton.
"I left him a number to give me a call. I imagine he'll be doing it soon," he said.
As for what he'll do with his new found wealth, Mason said he's unsure.
"Everything is pretty new to us and I don't think the reality of it has set in," he said, sounding very subdued for a man who just won the lottery.
"Once it sets in, I'll sit back and look into doing some investments and stuff with it, but other than that I really can't say."
The store that sold the winning ticket will receive a one per cent seller's prize. In this case, the Petro-Canada service station on Bayside Drive will receive $100,016.93.
In the immediate future, Mason said he will probably take a couple weeks to relax and enjoy the win before returning to Saint John.
Mason claimed his prize within a few days of the draw, but that is not the case for many winners.

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