Jackpot! Lottery Group Nets $17.5M

MONTREAL—For 10 veteran employees at the Quebecor World facility here, life has taken a turn for the awesome.

The group struck it rich on Jan. 9 by hitting the winning numbers in the Super 7 Lotto. They will share a pot of C$17.5 million.

All of the employees have been with Quebecor World Montreal at least 20 years, with the average worker making $15 an hour. Now, their financials have enjoyed an uptick.

The elder statesman of the group, 65-year-old Roger Malo, finally will retire, purchase a new home, car and computer, then bestow cash gifts of $125,000 to his son and daughter, according to the Journal de Montreal.

Marcel Lacelle, the organizer of the lottery pool, has also given notice. He plans to take courses in auto mechanics so that he can purchase and repair cars as a hobby, the Journal noted.

It was Lacelle who called fellow poolmate Michel Toupin at 3 a.m. to tell him the extraordinary news. Even after verifying the results over the Internet, they were in disbelief, according to the Journal.

The other eight winners were all notified before 7 a.m. the next morning, and the group found it hard to concentrate on the tasks at hand.

Most of the other winners said they would purchase a new house and car, and invest some money.