Father of four says big lotto win means new house for his Mississauga family

Dave Kelly didn’t have to think for very long about what to do with the $100,000 that suddenly came his way in time for Christmas.

The Mississauga father of four held a Lotto 6/49 ticket in the Nov. 2 draw that turned out to be an Encore winner for him. The numbers on his ticket matched the last six of seven Encore-winning numbers in exact order, officials with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) said in a news release.

“All I could think about in that moment was how I would now be able to buy a house,” Kelly, who works in shipping and receiving, said while at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to pick up his windfall.

“I was in the kitchen cooking when my children’s mother checked my Lotto 6/49 ticket on the OLG app,” the big winner continued, recounting the moment when he learned of the life-changing money prize. “She came running to me and shared what she had seen. I laughed because I thought she was joking until I checked the ticket myself. I was immediately filled with joy.”

Kelly, who’s played the lottery with OLG for 17 years, regularly purchasing Lotto 6/49 and Lotto Max Quick Pick tickets with Encore, then turned his attention to letting others know of his win.

“I shared the good news with a few friends and family. They were so happy for me and said that I deserve this win,” he smiled. “I always played to win, but now that I’ve won, I’m not sure how to feel. All I know is it’s a pretty good feeling.”

Kelly said his top priority with the new cash is to buy a house for himself and his family.

The winning ticket was purchased at Petro-Canada, on Kennedy Road in Mississauga.

(Cover photo: OLG)