Press release

Montréal, February 17, 2026 — Laurentides resident Francine Chalifoux won $1,000,000 in the January 20 Québec Max draw. When she saw the amount she’d won displayed on the screen at the retailer, she said, astonished, “$1,000,000, that can't be right... they must have made a mistake!” She even shed a few tears of joy.

Highlights

• Francine Chalifoux had gone to the pharmacy to have some family photos developed. While she was there, she purchased a lottery ticket. She usually buys Lotto Max and Lotto 6/49 tickets, but this time, she chose Québec Max—a decision that paid off.
• She received her prize, accompanied by her family and some guests, at the same pharmacy.
• The lucky winner plans to use this million to retire and travel.

The winning ticket was purchased at the Familiprix pharmacy at 3747 Chemin d’Oka in Saint-Joseph-du-Lac. The retailer will receive a 1% commission of $10,000.

Watch the video of the winner's prize presentation: https://youtube.com/shorts/lD4AL9SmN7Y.

About Loto-Québec

Loto-Québec has been delivering entertainment to Quebecers for over 55 years, and its operations benefit Québec as a whole. In 2025, the corporation paid out over $1.7 billion in prizes to winners and crowned 105 millionaires across Québec. Among these prizes, it paid out nearly 20 lifetime annuities, a record! Major prize winners are listed on the Winners page in the Lotteries section of lotoquebec.com. Discover their dreams.

The responsible commercialization of lottery and gaming products is central to Loto-Québec’s operations. The corporation has been granted the highest internationally recognized certification in responsible gaming by the World Lottery Association.