Canada BC Lotto Winner

$26,850 JACKPOT WON IN B.C., CANADA

George LeMarquand beat odds of two million, (one in 2,330,636 to be exact) to win $26,850 with 5 plus the bonus number in Canada's BC Lotto 6/49. Compare these odds to those my jackpot winner, Chad Casson, beat when he won $25,000 first prize jackpot in West Virginia's 6/25 Lotto—in which the odds were one in only 177,100.

Of course, Canada pays all of its wins in a tax-free-lump sum — at least for now. However, when there was talk last year about taxing lottery wins, George told me he called a member of Parliament and left a message saying that taxing lottery wins would be committing political suicide.

George wrote:

"Hello Gail Howard, I won on the 5 out of 6 plus bonus category on the April 2, 1997 drawing. My winning ticket was in an 8-number combination (full wheel). The numbers were selected by myself from charts in your Smart Luck program (Advantage Gold), which I have been using faithfully since I first purchased it in 1994. The charts I use most are #3, #4-A, #5, #7a, A, C, D, and the W charts, using the best 6 and best 12 numbers selections (Smart Picks).

"There are very few weeks of the year that I do not get some prize money. This past Saturday I had 3 winning tickets of $10 and $10 and $40 all with numbers from your charts—which I use exclusively for every draw.

"I really have enjoyed the opportunities that have come my way and winning Lottery Jackpots no matter how small has been a very big part of my life for the past few years. I look forward to the day in the near future when I shall give you a call to let you know of the latest winning tickets, I have and the big one will be among them.

"Many thanks for everything. Sincerely, George LeMarquand."

The 8-number full wheel George used is, offered by the Canadian Lottery. Because every combination is covered, it is the same as my Full Wheel #102. Full wheels always yield multiple prizes, and the extra $1,850 was the payout from the other prizes in the wheel.

After the drawing, George picked up the printed results and saw that one of the winners lived in Campbell River and one in Delta. "I wondered if it was me. I got home and went through my tickets and discovered I had won half of $50,OOO. I was the other winner."

George LeMarquand is a bachelor in his mid-sixties, living a rich, full life. He said.

"I got involved in TV production ten years ago as a volunteer and found it fascinating. Primarily, we cover local high school and collegiate sports- basketball, football, hockey, curling and lacrosse.

"Now, as Audio Director, I get as much of the sound of the games as I can. I position the microphone so you can hear the scrape of skates on ice, or the Whoosh of a ball go though the net.

George's primary employment has been occupational safety and health. He has given 8-hour training sessions to such companies as Wal-Mart, Home Depot and the Canadian Federal Government.

When I asked what he did with the money from his lottery win, he told me that he invested some of the money in "the best wedding videograpy in..B.C." called Reflection Video Productions.

George said his winnings from 1997 helped him get involved in a company, Ten Crows.' Technologies, www.tencrows.com, that makes promotional CD's for large companies. A CD Ten Crows did for Vancouver International Airport was very well received; as was the one they made for the huge grain conglomerate, Cargill.

George had this advice for Lottery News readers: "Stay positive and you are more likely to win. It is entertainment; but unlike other forms of entertainment, you have a chance of getting something for it. Every draw is a new opportunity. Using a good system is absolutely essential."