A Coombs couple is ringing in 2026 with a major reason to celebrate after scoring a $500,000 prize through the Extra on a Lotto Max ticket.
Nina F. and Frederick K. learned they had won the half-million-dollar prize from the December 23rd Lotto Max draw, and say the moment didn’t feel real at first.
According to British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC), Frederick scanned the ticket using the BCLC Lotto! app, prompting an initial reaction of disbelief.
“Fred scanned the ticket and at first I thought he was teasing me,” said Nina.
The couple said they initially thought the ticket was only worth a free play before taking a closer look and realizing the win was much bigger.
See also: Vancouver Island sees back-to-back $500,000 lottery wins in Victoria and Nanaimo
After confirming the prize, the Coombs residents shared the news with their daughter and son-in-law, who quickly called to make sure it wasn’t a joke.
While no concrete plans have been made yet, Nina and Frederick say they intend to celebrate the win with a vacation, though the destination is still up in the air.
Nina described the feeling of winning $500,000 just before the new year as “surreal.”
The winning ticket was purchased at the Save-On-Foods location on Island Highway West in Parksville.
The win followed two other Vancouver Island residents who each claimed separate $500,000 lottery prizes in different communities through different games over the holidays.
One of the wins came from Victoria, where a player captured a $500,000 prize in the Lotto Max draw held on Friday, December 26th.
The following night, another Vancouver Island player struck big in Nanaimo, winning $500,000 in the Lotto 6/49 Extra draw on Saturday, December 27th.
BCLC says lottery players across the province redeemed more than $51 million in Extra winnings in 2025, along with more than $248 million from Lotto Max prizes.
The Extra is a $1 add-on game available with several lottery products, including Lotto Max, Lotto 6/49, Daily Grand, and BC/49, and offers players a chance to win up to $500,000.
