Lottery win leads to dream home for Nunavut newlyweds
Nunavut man wins $7M in WCLC lottery
Attaq Makpah, who lives in Rankin Inlet, travelled to Winnipeg to collect his $7 million payout from the WCLC’s Oct. 13 Daily Draw lottery. (Photo courtesy of WCLC)
Wedding week jitters turned into lottery win excitement for Attaq Makpah of Rankin Inlet.
On Oct. 14, Makpah learned that he was the winner of the previous day’s $7 million Western Canada Lottery Commission’s Daily Grand top prize.
“It’s unbelievable,” he said. “It’s surreal.”
The week was already exciting with his wedding date — Oct. 15 — coming up.
Makpah hadn’t even had a chance to check his numbers the morning after the draw before receiving an automated email from Subscription Spot telling him to expect a call from the WCLC prize payout office.
Subscription Spot is a WCLC service that allows subscribers to automatically play their numbers for selected lottery draws, according to the WCLC website, and those numbers are automatically checked against draws and prizes are paid out if you win.
“I had never seen the note about them calling before,” he said.
The email caught Makpah completely off-guard, so he called his future father-in-law before going online to check his numbers.
Seeing that he had matched the five winning numbers – 5, 11, 20, 22 and 37 – and the grand number, 4 – Makpah said that he was speechless.
In spite of the proof of the win, Makpah’s then-fiancee was hard to convince, and remained skeptical until they claimed the prize in Winnipeg the week after the draw.
“She wouldn’t believe me until we got here,” he said, chuckling.
With this unexpected windfall, the couple are now on the hunt for the ultimate wedding present, their dream home.
Daily Grand winners can choose between $1,000 a day for the rest of their lives, or a single lump sum of $7 million. To date, every Daily Grand winner in the prairie provinces and the North has selected the lump sum option.
This marks the largest lottery win on a ticket sold in Nunavut.
I would buy a house…and ATV’s for most of the famille
I would get out of town, Everybody is going to be MOOCHING off this guy. He will not get a moment of peace.
Yup!
My long long lost cousin, whats his name.
Attaq, i am thinking of all our roots if you and i are related. Very possible that you are my long lost cousin. Hi Cous.
And now the family will come out of the woodwork asking for money. It will sap this couple of the happiness that comes from giving from their hearts. This one big reason why many lottery winners struggle after a big win. I wish them well.
Go to Vegas and Put it all on black
I did that once; all to the black and lost it all……buy a 14 units apartment building in affluent neighborhood, set for life, then buy another one in few years….
First I’d split 10% to my local churches.
Screw the church , open golf driving range with a bar.
Congratulations to you sir !
About 5 years ago my cousin & his friend split a lottery winnings, each received 1. 5 million
dollars. A lot of money to be sure.
However my cousin has been broke for about 2 years. His friend still has his money plus
interest $ 75000 per year from his investments.
We all choose our way, good luck.
Lock your money in GIC, learn a trade and come live and work in Heaven, Grise Fiord!!
I have seen a few Lottery Winners penniless within a few years.
Congratulations to one of our inuqatiks! Quvianaq! Go to Iqaluit and open up a garage where getting an oil change, or mechanical repairs are reasonably priced. The garages here are gouging car owners where a simple oil change costs close to $300.00. Invest in that and you will reap the rewards. That’s my pipe dream.
Whatever you decide, whatever your pipe dreams, go for it! Best of luck to you and your families!
my Favourite cousin! long time no see! buy me a car maybe?