A 20th wedding anniversary road trip through New Brunswick and Nova Scotia turned life-changing for Annie Ouellet and her husband. The Matane, Que., couple not only marked two decades of marriage, but also won Set for Life’s top prize, opting for the $675,000 lump sum over weekly $1,000 payments for 25 years.
“It’s like a dream – a beautiful dream,” Ouellet said while visiting the Atlantic Lottery Prize Centre to claim her win. “We are in a rush to get home now so we can announce it to our friends and family.”
Atlantic Lottery’s Set for Life is a $4 Scratch’N Win ticket that offers two ways to claim the grand prize: a steady $1,000 a week for 25 years or a one-time payout of $675,000. On paper, the weekly payments would total $52,000 a year and up to $1.3 million over the full term. If you were to invest the $1,000 weekly annuity at a 5 per cent growth rate, you’d have a future value of $2,776,500.
You could also choose to have half of the $675,000 as spending money, and invest the other $337,500. At a 5 per cent growth, compounded annually, that investment would hold a future value of $1,143,825.
Still, most winners — including Ouellet — prefer the lump sum. The immediate payout means access to the full amount right away, rather than smaller instalments stretched out across two-and-a-half decades.
Ouellet’s winning ticket was one she had bought earlier on their trip, tucked away as the couple enjoyed their anniversary getaway. They spent two days glamping in Shippagan, N.B., before continuing into Nova Scotia to visit Wolfville and the fishing town of Lunenburg. With each stop, they added memories to their milestone celebration — but Ouellet had no idea one of them would be life-changing.
At first, she assumed the ticket was worth little more than another chance to play. Believing she had only won a free ticket, she carried it with her for four days as the couple enjoyed their vacation.
“When my husband was gassing up, I went inside to validate the ticket and that’s when the worker said, ‘You’ve won the grand prize,’” Ouellet said.
“I thought I just won a free ticket … but when my husband came in, we realized we did win the grand prize!”
As the reality of the win sank in, the couple began thinking about how they would use their windfall. Their first priorities include paying off their mortgage and buying a new truck, but family comes first.
“My daughter just bought a home, and my son is in school,” said Ouellet. “Now, we will be able to help them more.”
Ouellet purchased her winning ticket at Cochrane’s Pharmasave in Wolfville, N.S. The retailer will receive a one per cent seller’s prize. Set for Life is one of Atlantic Lottery’s most popular Scratch’N Win games.
To play, players scratch the ticket to reveal prize symbols — uncovering three “Set for Life” symbols secures the grand prize. The current 4099 series launched on April 2, 2025, and Ouellet’s ticket is the first top prize claimed, with six more top prizes available across the region.
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