Woman learns of lotto win from SooToday.com (updated)

It's official - Virginia Bouchard of Sault Ste. Marie has won $12.5 million in last Friday's LottoMax draw.

"It's scary," Bouchard told SooToday.com moments before heading into a news conference late this afternoon at Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation headquarters in Toronto. "It makes me nervous to have that kind of money," she said.

SooToday.com reassured Bouchard that she has many, many friends and relatives here in the Sault who will be more than happy to help share her burden.

And there's every indication that Bouchard, 51, is going to be generous to those close to her.

Family members Mike and Crystal Bouchard and Amanda and Andy Crosby flew to Toronto with her today and Virginia says she'll be buying new cars for them.

Virginia bought the lucky Quick-Pick ticket at the Airways General Store on Second Line West in Sault Ste. Marie.

She says her face went white as a ghost and her legs turned to putty late Sunday night as she was sitting on the couch checking SooToday.com's Lotto Results page, discovering that the winning number matched her ticket.

Despite her shock, Virginia managed to remain very calm as she called to her husband Brian, asking him to sit beside her because she had something to tell him.

"He didn't really believe me. But he told me I was his favourite wife. I'm going to give him an allowance!" Virginia crowed.

Virginia retired from her job at Canadian Tire at 8:01 a.m. on Monday, cashing in on a substantial company profit-sharing plan in addition to her lottery win.

Hubby Brian is taking a month off from his job at the City of Sault Ste. Marie Board of Works, to decide his future.

The lucky couple is planning to travel in the coming year.

"I always felt that I would win big in the lottery," Virginia tells SooToday.com.

She's been buying lottery tickets every week for the past 25 or 30 years, she said.

There were two winning tickets of $12.5 million each in Friday's LottoMax draw.

The other prize was claimed by a Burlington family.

Virginia and Brian have been happily married for 34 years.

They have three adult children and two grandchildren.

Virginia will be celebrating a birthday shortly.

"What an unforgettable gift," she says.

She believes it's important to stay grounded and is planning few changes to her lifestyle.