Keswick trucker battling cancer wins $100,000 Encore prize

'This win couldn’t have come at a better time'

Published Sep 22, 2026  •  2 minute read

Ronald G. is pictured with his $100,000 cheque. Photo by OLG /supplied

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A cancer-stricken Ontario trucker got a much-needed $100,000 boost while checking his lottery ticket on the OLG app during a chemotherapy treatment.

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Ronald G.’s six-figure windfall came after he matched the last six of seven Encore numbers in exact order in the July 21 Lotto Max draw, the OLG said in a news release.

“I play the lottery every two weeks and this is my first major win,” the truck driver from Keswick said when he collected his prize last week at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto.

“I’ve been playing Lotto Max with Encore for as long as I can remember – it’s my go-to game.”

He recalled his surprise when he found out he’d won at the hospital.

“My phone displayed the $100,000 prize and when I saw all the zeros, I had a huge smile on my face,” he said.

“For a second, I was in denial. I handed the phone to my mom, who was with me at the time, and she confirmed it was real. Then I called my wife and she was very happy. This win couldn’t have come at a better time.”

Having worked 20 years as a trucker, Ronald told OLG he plans to use his winnings to pay bills and is considering travelling with Antigua high on his list.

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“I still can’t believe it, but I’m very grateful,” he said.

Oliver W. won $1 million Gold Ball prize in the Aug. 1 Lotto 6/49 draw.. Photo by OLG /supplied

British expat says winning $1 million ‘surreal’

A British expat living in Toronto said he couldn’t contain his energy when he realized he had won the Lotto 6/49 $1-million Gold Ball prize.

Oliver W. purchased his ticket online for the Aug. 1 draw and found out he had won after checking his email early one morning, the OLG said.

“I saw one that said, ‘You won a large prize’ and I thought to myself, ‘Oh, wow. What could it be?’ When I opened my account and saw so many zeros, it was a surreal feeling,” he told the OLG.

He said the first thing he did after he realized he’d won was to hit the gym to “burn off some energy.”

The construction industry project manager only moved from the U.K. to Toronto a year ago and played the lottery weekly.

He told the OLG that he plans to use his winnings to explore Canada and is looking forward to seeing Banff, Alta., and discovering more of Ontario. He also has his sights set on buying a home.

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