A routine stop at a local grocery store turned into the biggest moment of Earl Giesbrecht’s life after the Manitoba resident discovered that a lottery ticket he believed was worth $46,000 was actually worth an incredible $46 million.
The semi-retired truck driver from Whitemouth, Manitoba, purchased a Lotto 6/49 ticket at First Stop Grocers and later returned to scan it after hearing that someone in the province had won the jackpot during the May 16 draw over the Victoria Day long weekend.
At first, Giesbrecht thought he had won a sizeable but far smaller prize.
“I thought it was $46,000 at first,” he recalled. “When I started counting the zeroes, the cashier said, ‘It’s actually $46 million,’ and I just about fell over.”
The realization left him in complete disbelief.
“I thought I was going to have a heart attack,” he said.
The winning ticket made Giesbrecht the owner of Manitoba’s largest-ever Lotto 6/49 jackpot. The previous major Lotto 6/49 record in the province was set nearly five years ago when a player won $27.5 million in the May 12, 2021 draw.
Small-Town Winner Struggled to Process the News
The shock was so overwhelming that Giesbrecht immediately called his brother for support.
“I had to call my brother just to come and sit with me in the store,” he explained. “I didn’t think I could even drive myself home.”
As word spread through the close-knit community of Whitemouth, keeping the win private quickly became impossible.
“I think the whole town already knows I’ve won,” he said with a laugh.
Before officially claiming the prize, Giesbrecht consulted his bank about managing the majority of the winnings. Despite becoming an instant multi-millionaire, he says he has no extravagant plans.
“I don’t have many big plans because I’ve never had money like this,” he admitted. “It feels fantastic, though — it’s unbelievable! I’m giddy!”
Giesbrecht’s win comes during another active year for Canadian lottery players, with recent draws producing several major prizes across the country. The Canada Lotto 6/49 Results May 20, 2026 draw also generated significant interest among players following jackpot developments nationwide.
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Helping Family and an Ex-Wife Comes Before Luxury
While many lottery winners dream about expensive cars or lavish vacations, Giesbrecht says his priorities are much simpler.
“I want to buy a house, and then I’m going to help my children,” he said.
One of the most talked-about aspects of his plan involves his former wife.
“I’m also going to pay my ex-wife’s mortgage off. We were together many years, and we still talk.”
The gesture has attracted attention across Canada, with many people praising the goodwill behind the decision. Rather than focusing on luxury spending, Giesbrecht intends to use a portion of his newfound wealth to support the people who have been part of his life for decades.
The jackpot also gives him the option to leave work entirely. Currently semi-retired, he says full retirement is now firmly on the table.
“I’m currently semi-retired,” he continued. “And now I’m thinking about maybe becoming fully retired… We’ll see!”
According to the Western Canada Lottery Corporation (WCLC), Lotto 6/49 remains one of Canada’s most popular national lottery games, regularly creating multi-million-dollar winners through its Gold Ball jackpot format.
For Giesbrecht, the historic win represents more than just a financial windfall. It offers security, freedom, and the opportunity to help the people closest to him — including someone from his past who remains an important part of his life.
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