Lottery commercials often portray a happy family, couple or group of friends enjoying their winnings all together.
For ten people in Aylmer, Que., the fact they're each taking home more than a million dollars with a group of strangers doesn't make it much less sweet.
The winners took part in a "group buy" at an Aylmer smoke shop, a popular Quebec strategy where people buy into a group with others that want to increase their chances of a win.
That ticket was one of three that won the $50 million Lotto Max jackpot last week, meaning the ten winners split about $16.6 million.
Wanda Beaudry's husband is $1.6 million richer, meaning she could quit her job at an Aylmer grocery store.
"We're short one person now in the bakery if anyone needs a job," said a laughing Richard O'Dwyer, one of Wanda's closest friends. "She gave me a call, she said ‘Do I have to come back to work?'"
Dianne Brunette said she's taken part in a group buy before, but wasn't quite so lucky.
"It was a $1.20 (win)," she said. "I'm here to buy (another) group ticket, how's that?"
Others said they wished they too had bought in.
"I didn't win the million so I'm stuck here playing the blues," said one man while strumming his guitar.
CTV Ottawa reached some of the winners, who said they didn't want to appear on camera.
There are still two of the ten winners who haven't come forward to validate their tickets.
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Catherine Lathem
