Two South Shore men win big in recent Lotto draws

Gaston Synnott and Sylvain Briere won big in recent lotto draws. (Lot-Quebec)

A pair of Quebecers south of Montreal won big in recent Lotto draws.

South Shore resident Gaston Synnott won a $1 million prize in a March 7 Lotto 6/49 draw and Sylvain Brière, also from the Montérégie, won $25,000 for life in the March 9 Grande Vie draw.

Synnott swung by the Maxi grocery store in Saint-Lambert, where he purchased his ticket two days after the draw to check whether he won anything.

“When he saw the look on the clerk’s face, Gaston asked, ‘Let me guess. I made 10 bucks this morning?’” Lotto Quebec said in a news release. “‘Actually, you made $1,000,000. You’re a millionaire!’ the clerk replied.”

Loto-Quebec said Synnott went home and when his wife noticed him acting strange said, “Your husband became a millionaire this morning!”

He told Lotto Quebec that he plans to spoil himself and his children.

Brière checked his his ticket on the Loto-Quebec app while having breakfast, when he found out he was a winner.

“I forgot all about breakfast for a while and ended up eating cold toast!” he said.

The known joker and motorcycle enthusiast had to convince friends and family that he won because some of them didn’t believe him at first.

Brière had ordered his dream bike shortly before winning and will now not have to worry about the cost.

He bought his ticket at the Marché Saint-Hubert convenience store in Longueuil.