Ann Maybee won $500,000 on an Aug. 1 Lotto Max draw. (BCLC)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

payday

‘Still too excited:’ Oceanside woman keeps $500,000 lotto win a secret

Sep 15, 2025 | 11:02 AM

QUALICUM BEACH — A local woman is half a million dollars richer after an early August lotto win.

Ann Maybee was scanning her ticket at the Munchy Business & Deli in Qualicum Beach when the machine registered her as a $500,000 Extra prize winner from the Aug. 1 Lotto Max draw.

“The first thing that came to mind was, ‘holy cow!’ It felt unreal and then I immediately thought, ‘how do I claim this?’”

She’s managed to do what few lotto winners do with a big prize: keep it a secret.

Maybee said she had yet to tell anyone close to her about the windfall, saying she was “still processing the win” and was “still too excited”.

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BCLC, as part of the prize claim process, requires winners to sign off on the publishing of their information, including name, photo and town of residence.

It notes if the winner refuses to sign the document, a prize may be withheld in accordance with the Rules and Regulations Respecting Lotteries and Gaming.

She doesn’t have any immediate plans for the cash, which was won from a ticket purchased at the Red Apple store at Wembley Mall in Parksville.

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