Coombs couple Frederick and Nina had a very happy new year after winning $500,000 from a pre-Christmas Lotto Max draw (BCLC)

By NanaimoNewsNOW staff

New Years bonus

‘Surreal:’ Coombs couple wins $500K from Lotto Max draw

Jan 7, 2026 | 12:36 PM

COOMBS — It was an extra special New Year’s celebration for one couple from Coombs.

Nina F. and Frederick K. won $500,000 by matching all four numbers on the Extra Prize from the Dec. 23 Lotto Max draw after purchasing their winning ticket from Save-On-Foods in Parksville.

When Fred scanned the ticket on the BCLC Lotto app, Nina first thought he was teasing her about winning half a million dollars.

“We checked the ticket and thought it was a free play at first,” Fred noted in a BC Lottery Corporation news release.

They called their daughter and son-in-law to share the exciting news, who also first suspected it was a joke.

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But the win is very real, with the couple planning to celebrate with a vacation at a yet-to-be-determined destination.

Nina said it feels “surreal” to win such a big prize.

Their win comes only a few days before another winning ticket also worth $500,000 was purchased in Nanaimo for the Dec. 27 Lotto Max draw, with the winner yet to be announced.

Winners of lottery prizes in B.C. have one year from the draw date to claim their prize, and this win continues an extraordinary run of mid-Island winning $500,000 or more since 2012.

Well over three dozen tickets purchased in Nanaimo alone have won at least half a million dollars.

In addition, Qualicum Beach woman Ann Maybee, won $500,000 in September through the same Extra Prize draw, while a Nanaimo man picked up over $213,000.

BCLC also reported a $500,000 prize was one for a ticket sold in Nanoose Bay for an April draw, but so far that prize has yet to be claimed.

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