‘They didn’t believe me’: Fort Erie retiree wins $1M lottery prize

Brent Jones
December 30, 2025 at 5:43 AM

A Fort Erie retiree is celebrating a $1-million lottery win after scratching his way to a top prize earlier this month.

According to a news release from Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) Corporation, 88-year-old Bernard Williams won $1 million playing the Instant in the Money Multiplier game.

Bernard Williams, 88, won $1 million playing a scratch ticket purchased at the Avondale on Snyder Street. Credit: Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation

Williams told OLG officials he realized he had won only after asking his wife to double- and triple-check the ticket.

“When I realized I won, I had to call my wife over to triple check my ticket,” he said in the release while collecting his winnings at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto.

The Fort Erie resident, who is retired, said he enjoys playing instant tickets and likes trying new games when they are released. The win marks his first major lottery prize.

Williams said he initially shared the news only with his wife and daughter.

“They didn’t believe me at first,” he said with a laugh, adding that he feels grateful for the unexpected windfall.

The winning ticket was purchased at the Avondale store on Snyder Street in Stevensville, according to OLG.

Instant in the Money Multiplier is a $10 instant game with a top prize of $1 million. OLG says the odds of winning any prize are one in 3.76.