Bernard White, seen on the right, is among the latest Lotto Max jackpot winners from the February 21, 2025 draw. Global News
A retired railway worker from Oshawa, Ontario, is celebrating a life-changing moment after winning $40 million from the Lotto Max jackpot. Bernard White, 79, said he regularly buys two tickets each week — one for himself and one for his daughter. This time, his ticket turned out to be the lucky one.
“I always buy two tickets — one for me, one for my daughter,” Bernard shared. “Before going to bed, I ask her to choose one. This time, she picked the wrong one.”
Even though she didn’t get the winning ticket, Bernard promised, “She’ll be well taken care of.”
Bernard explained how special his daughter is to him. He and his late wife were only able to have one child, so she holds a very dear place in his heart.
His daughter was actually the first to find out. She woke up early for work and noticed a possible win. She thought it was $40,000 and quickly told her dad. Half-asleep, Bernard replied, “That’s great! We can both pay off our cars.”
But a few minutes later, there was a knock at his bedroom door. She corrected herself, saying, “Dad, I think you won $40 million.”
Bernard, stunned, said he nearly jumped out of bed. “I would’ve hit the ceiling if I had underwear on,” he joked, explaining he sleeps in the nude.
Mistakes like this are more common than people think. A recent Lotto Max winner also misread his $25 million prize as just $25,000 — all because he didn’t have his glasses on.
Back to Bernard, he and his daughter rushed to the gas station where he bought the ticket — a Shell station on Taunton Road East in Oshawa. As soon as the machine scanned the ticket, Bernard said it “lit up like a Christmas tree.”
Besides fishing and music, Bernard has some exciting plans for his winnings. First on his list is a new fishing rod and a high-end $3,000 speaker system. But most of the money, he says, will go toward his family.
“I’ve always dreamed of helping my family if I ever won,” he said. “Now I can. I’ll be the favourite uncle for sure.”
Bernard also plans to travel, possibly taking a cruise around Newfoundland, where he was born. He also wants to support health-related charities and make a difference where he can.
“I plan to enjoy life and have fun,” Bernard said with a big smile.
