Press release

Montréal, January 13, 2020 – Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean is on a winning roll! Loto-Québec is asking for the media’s help in finding the newest Québec 49 multimillionaire winner of the January 11 draw. The winning ticket worth $2,000,000 was purchased in the city of Saguenay.

Pierre Fortin and Jany Friolet, a couple from Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, started off the year with a bang by winning the guaranteed $1 million prize in the January 4 Lotto 6/49 draw with a ticket purchased in Alma. Loto‑Québec had given several media interviews in the region to inform the public that a $1 million prize had been won with a ticket purchased in the area. After hearing the news, Jany decided to check her tickets and realized that one of the tickets she and her spouse had purchased in Alma was the winner!

Below are details about the unclaimed prize:

$2,000,000 – Québec 49                                    

Administrative region: Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean (city of Saguenay)

Draw date: January 11, 2020

Prize category: 6/6
Winning selection: 09 16 20 31 40 43 (45)

Claim deadline: January 11, 2021

Below are details about the winning ticket purchased in Alma:

In summary

• Lottery: Lotto 6/49
• Prize: $1,000,000
• Category: Guaranteed prize
• Draw date: January 4, 2020
• Winners’ place of residence: Saguenay‒Lac-Saint-Jean
• Retailer: Pharmaprix (1050 Avenue du Pont Sud, Alma)
• The retailer will receive a 1% commission of $10,000.
• Claim centre: Loto-Québec’s office in Québec City

Highlights

• Jany always buys the same lottery tickets but, this time, she decided to get one more.

• As luck would have it, she and her spouse won the Lotto 6/49 guaranteed $1 million prize.

• After hearing news reports that Loto-Québec was looking for a new millionaire in the area, she shared the information on social media to urge people in the community to check their tickets.

• She did so herself using a self-serve ticket checker. When all the zeros started lining up, she didn’t quite understand what was happening.

• “Ma’m, you’ve won a lot of money!” said the clerk. That’s when it finally sunk in that they were really big winners.

• She immediately called her spouse, who co-owned the winning ticket, and their children, although they didn’t mention how much they’d won.

• It wasn’t the couple’s first time coming to Loto-Québec’s offices, as they had previously won two $100,000 prizes, one in 2004 and one in 2009.

• The new millionaires were super excited when they left with their valuable cheque.

• Jany and Pierre plan to treat their children and grandchildren, travel more often and buy a condo in the United States – something they’ve been dreaming about for a long time.

About Loto-Québec

Loto-Québec’s mission is to responsibly and efficiently manage games of chance in a controlled and measured fashion in the interest of all Quebecers. Entertainment is at the heart of its activities. In 2019, Loto-Québec paid out 88 prizes of $1 million or more. The Gagnant à vie and Grande Vie lotteries have provided 23 lucky winners with a lifetime annuity. Major prize winners are listed on the Winners page of the Lotteries site.