A date night custom in Ontario has resulted in a $34 million lottery win for a couple.

In their 36 years of marriage, Friday night has always been date night, according to Joe and Lise Menard of Cache Bay, Ontario, which is situated on the north coast of Lake Nipissing in the northern portion of the province.

Usually, the weekly ritual include going out to dinner.  In order to purchase their weekly lottery tickets, they must to make a trip at a store.

Lise recalled that they still had some previous lottery tickets in her purse that they hadn't checked when they stopped to purchase their tickets this time at Arrowhead Gas Bar in Nipissing First Nation, close to North Bay.

Vintage Car Purchase

“When I went in to pay for the gas, I asked the clerk to check the tickets,” said Joe. “After seeing they weren’t winners, the clerk asked if I wanted to replay them. I usually get new tickets using Quick Pick, but this time I replayed the old ones.”

"When I heard on the news that the LOTTO 6/49 Gold Ball ticket was sold in Northern Ontario, I had a premonition that we had the winning ticket,” he continued. “It wasn’t until later that evening that Lise checked the tickets on her phone with the OLG [Ontario Lottery and Gaming] app.”

On June 21, 2025, the pair won the $34 million prize in the LOTTO 6/49 Gold Ball draw.

Later that night, Lise said she "almost had a heart attack" after using the OLG app on her phone to check the tickets.

Taking Care of the Kids

“I kept saying ‘Joe! Joe! Joe!’ At first, he thought we had won $34,000, and I kept telling him to look at all the zeros!” she said.

From here, where does the pair go?  Joe took Lise to the high school prom, which is how they first met.  Since that time, they have lived frugally, worked hard, and raised a family. 

Saving pennies is over thanks to this lottery victory.

“The big thing for us was to take care of the kids the best way we can,” said an emotional Lise. “Now my kids will be taken care of — no more worries. When someone needs something, we will be there to help.”

A couple believed they had won $34,000.

They will now realize their dream of visiting all of Canada's major cities while traveling from coast to coast.

"I’ve always wanted to give her a dream home, and now she’s going to get it,” Joe said. 

According to Lise, she has a very specific wish for her new ideal house.

“I’ve always dreamed of having a big harvest table so we can all sit together for family meals and entertain more during the holidays,” she said. “No more sitting all over the house — now we’ll be all together.”

Genuine Diamond Ring

Joe, who enjoys working on historic vehicles, announced that he will soon purchase a hot rod automobile, which he has desired since he was sixteen.  In addition, he will fulfill a long-standing promise to his wife by purchasing a real diamond ring to replace the phony one she currently wears. It was a joke gift from their 15th wedding anniversary and was built from a steel nut welded onto a large novelty crystal.

According to Lise, their family ties are fundamental to who they are.

“Joe’s favourite saying is ‘What Momma wants, Momma gets.’ Even though we didn’t have much, he’s always given me what I wanted and has never shied away,” she said. “He’s my best friend, and he will always be.”