Notable Daily Grand Winners
Stories of Canadians who matched all 5 main numbers + the Grand Number — from Edmonton's Suryanarayana Bora, the very first Daily Grand top prize winner in November 2016, to the most recent verified wins across the country.
Verified winners on this page
Grand Prize winners — $7 million top prize
Suryanarayana Bora
November 10, 2016 drawJust three weeks after Daily Grand launched, Edmonton family man Suryanarayana Bora became the game's very first top prize winner with his $9 ticket from a Petro-Canada gas station on Tamarack Way. Faced with the choice between $1,000 a day for life or $7 million in cash, Bora chose the lump sum and said his first plan was to pay off the family mortgage. "My wife and I have worked hard all our lives and made sacrifices for our family. But we haven't had much extra," he said in the WCLC announcement.
John Wedlock
June 25, 2018 drawJohn Wedlock, 59, walked into a Shoppers Drug Mart on Chemong Road in Peterborough just before the June 25, 2018 Daily Grand draw and bought a ticket on impulse. A few days later, his wife mentioned that someone in Peterborough had won — Wedlock laughed it off, then checked his ticket and saw the words "$1,000 a day for life" on the validation slip. The father of two opted for the $7 million lump sum. "She had tears in her eyes when I told her the life-changing news," he told OLG.
Laurier Lapointe
January 9, 2023 drawThe day after the January 9, 2023 Grande Vie draw, Laurier Lapointe — an IT worker from the Chaudière-Appalaches region — got the call from Loto-Québec that most Quebecers only dream of. A subscription player who had been picking family birthdays since the game launched, Lapointe took the $7 million lump sum and immediately told his employer he was resigning. His plans: home renovation, paying his daughter's tuition, a Mediterranean cruise, and time for volunteering. His spouse initially thought it was a prank.
anonymous
April 10, 2023 drawA single Daily Grand ticket purchased in Burnaby, British Columbia matched all five winning numbers — 13, 34, 35, 37, and 46 — plus the Grand Number 7, in the April 10, 2023 draw. It was the only ticket in Canada to do so, securing the entire top prize. BCLC announced the ticket sale and noted the winner would have 52 weeks to come forward and choose between the lifetime $1,000-a-day annuity and the $7 million cash option.
Farhad Farhadi-Amineh
October 19, 2023 drawFarhad Farhadi-Amineh of King City, Ontario opened the OLG app to scan his ticket from the October 19, 2023 Daily Grand draw and saw "Big Winner" — but didn't quite believe what it meant. "I didn't believe it at first and asked my wife, 'What does this mean?' She told me to go check it at the store. We were both so shocked," he told OLG at the prize centre. He matched all five main numbers plus the Grand Number and chose the $7 million lump sum, saying "I want to maintain privacy and peace."
Manon & Maryse Gaudreau (sisters)
December 28, 2023 drawTwo sisters from Quebec's Estrie region — Manon and Maryse Gaudreau — pooled their luck and shared the December 28, 2023 Grande Vie top prize. Because the prize was claimed by a group, the lifetime annuity option converted automatically to the $7 million lump sum, which the sisters split. Loto-Québec featured their win as part of a notable late-2023 cluster of Grand Prize hits in the province.
Robert Gareau
April 25, 2024 drawRobert Gareau, a 69-year-old Montreal-area astrologer who had written horoscope columns for decades, won the Grande Vie top prize on the April 25, 2024 draw. A self-described night owl, he woke up at 4 a.m. the next morning to check his phone and saw the winning numbers. He went back to sleep — admitting later that wasn't easy. He chose the $7 million lump sum: "At the age that I am, it was not long to calculate that it was better for me to take the $7 million." He attributed his win in part to the conjunction of Jupiter and Uranus in Taurus.
Richard Plante
October 28, 2024 drawRichard Plante, a Lanaudière resident who retired from a Montreal brewery in 2018, regularly bought Grande Vie tickets on his phone. The day after the October 28, 2024 draw, he received a surprise call from Loto-Québec urging him to check his ticket. "Wow! $1,000 a day!? It's unreal!" Plante told the caller. He carefully broke the news to his wife of 40 years, worried the shock might be too much. Plante had a choice between $1,000 daily for at least 20 years or a $7 million lump sum — he chose the lump sum.
Secondary Prize winners — $500,000
Richard Carmichael
October 3, 2022 drawMerritt resident Richard Carmichael purchased his ticket at the Pharmasave on Garcia Street and matched all five main numbers in the October 3, 2022 Daily Grand draw. He chose the $500,000 lump sum over the $25,000-a-year-for-life annuity, planning a road trip to the Oregon Coast, some camping, and investments. "It doesn't seem real… you don't expect it to be you and all of a sudden it is."
Pierre Savard
October 19, 2023 drawIn a remarkable coincidence, the same October 19, 2023 draw that delivered Farhad Farhadi-Amineh his $7 million Grand Prize in Ontario also produced a $500,000 secondary winner in Quebec. Pierre Savard of Mauricie received a phone call from an unfamiliar number on October 20 — Loto-Québec calling to confirm his five-number match. He initially thought he had won $25, then realized he'd won $25,000 a year for life. He chose the $500,000 lump sum and planned a new car, home renovations, and investments.
Janice Adams
November 14, 2024 drawJanice Adams of Medicine Hat, Alberta matched all five main numbers — 1, 17, 27, 43, 46 — in the November 14, 2024 draw with a ticket from RUYI Lottery in Calgary. Instead of splurging on a car or vacation, her first purchase with the $500,000 lump sum was a vacuum. "The first thing I thought was, 'What do I need? A good vacuum!'" Adams told WCLC, her main feeling now excitement about future possibilities.
Ralph Miller
September 18, 2025 drawRalph Miller of Haliburton, Ontario matched all five main numbers in the September 18, 2025 Daily Grand draw — but didn't notice for 10 days. "I was on my lunch break and noticed I had an email saying I won big. I completely missed it for 10 days," he told OLG. At first he suspected an AI-generated phishing scam and logged into OLG.ca to verify. After about 30 years of playing OLG, Miller chose the $500,000 lump sum, planning to put a down payment on a new house and get back into skiing.
Patterns in Daily Grand wins
Geographic distribution of Grand Prize winners
Among the 8 publicly named Grand Prize winners on this page, Quebec dominates with 5 winners — partly because Loto-Québec issues some of the most detailed press releases in Canada, and partly because Quebec accounts for roughly 22% of the country's population. Atlantic Canada (where the game launched a year later in 2017) has no publicly named Grand Prize winner yet.
Lump sum vs. annuity — what most winners choose
Of the Grand Prize winners with a verified payout choice on this page, every one took the $7 million lump sum over the $1,000-a-day-for-life annuity. The same pattern shows up in the Secondary Prize list, where every $500,000 winner chose the cash option over the $25,000-a-year annuity. The simple math: to reach the lump-sum value through the annuity, a Grand Prize winner would need to collect daily payments for roughly 19 years — and a Secondary winner would need a full 20-year payout.
A remarkable coincidence
The October 19, 2023 draw produced two winners featured on this page: Farhad Farhadi-Amineh from King City, Ontario took home the $7 million Grand Prize, while Pierre Savard from Mauricie, Quebec collected the $500,000 Secondary Prize on the exact same draw — with different Grand Number selections.
Delayed claims happen
Daily Grand winners have a full 52 weeks from the draw date to claim their prize. Some players cut it close — Colleen Godard reportedly won the July 18, 2022 Grand Prize but didn\'t check her ticket until April 2023, nearly nine months later. Always check, save, and store your ticket somewhere safe.
How the Daily Grand top prize actually pays out
Unlike Lotto Max or Lotto 6/49, Daily Grand has a fixed top prize that doesn\'t grow with rollovers. Every Grand Prize winner faces the same choice within 60 days of validating their ticket:
- $1,000 a day for life — paid as a lifetime annuity, with a minimum guaranteed period of 20 years. If the winner dies during that 20-year window, the remainder goes to a designated beneficiary or the estate. Beyond 20 years, the payments continue for the winner\'s lifetime.
- $7 million cash lump sum — paid as a single payment. Most named winners on this page have chosen this option.
The same dual-option structure applies to the Secondary Prize ($25,000 a year for life or $500,000 cash) and is required automatically as a lump sum if there are multiple winners in a category.
Frequently asked questions
Who was the first Daily Grand winner?
Suryanarayana Bora of Edmonton, Alberta won the very first Daily Grand top prize in the November 10, 2016 draw — just three weeks after the game launched. He chose the $7 million lump sum over the $1,000-a-day-for-life annuity.
How many Daily Grand Grand Prize winners have there been?
Statistically, Daily Grand produces roughly one Grand Prize winner every one to two months across Canada — but only some winners are publicly named. This page lists 8 Grand Prize winners with verified operator or national news sources, plus 4 Secondary Prize winners.
Do Daily Grand winners get $1,000 a day for life, or $7 million?
Both options are available. Top prize winners must choose within 60 days of validating their ticket between the lifetime annuity ($1,000 a day, with a 20-year guaranteed period for beneficiaries) and the cash lump sum ($7 million). Most named winners on this page chose the lump sum.
What happens if a Daily Grand winner dies during the annuity?
If a winner chose the lifetime annuity and dies before receiving 20 years of payments, the remaining balance up to that 20-year guarantee is paid to a designated beneficiary or the winner's estate. Winners who outlive the 20-year guarantee continue to receive daily payments for the rest of their lives.
Has anyone chosen $1,000 a day instead of the $7 million lump sum?
Among the publicly named Daily Grand winners with a verified payout choice, every one chose the $7 million lump sum. The 19+ years it would take to collect $7 million through daily payments — combined with potential investment returns on the lump sum — makes the cash option compelling for most winners.
Has the Atlantic provinces ever produced a Daily Grand Grand Prize winner?
Daily Grand only launched in Atlantic Canada in 2017, a year after the rest of the country. As of this page's most recent update, no publicly named Grand Prize winner from Atlantic Canada has been identified — though Atlantic Lottery Corporation winners may have chosen to remain anonymous.
How long do Daily Grand winners have to claim their prize?
Winners have 52 weeks (one year) from the draw date printed on their ticket to come forward. A notable case: Colleen Godard reportedly won the July 18, 2022 Grand Prize but didn't check her ticket until April 2023, nearly nine months later.
Are Daily Grand winnings taxed in Canada?
No. Canadian lottery winnings are not considered taxable income at the federal or provincial level, whether received as a lump sum or as annuity payments. However, any interest or investment income earned after the prize is deposited is taxable as regular income.