A Montreal man just got a boost on his retirement budget, after winning Loto-Quebec’s Grande-Vie prize, which comes in the form of $1,000 a day for life.
Robert Gareau is an astrologer who writes a monthly horoscope in local community papers, and although he didn’t “predict” his luck, he says he won because the planets were properly aligned.
“Jupiter was aligned with Uranus, within 20 degrees of the Taurus constellation,” explained the 69-year-old man. “It hasn’t happened since 1941, and before that it was in 1850, all during big social disturbances.”
Gareau says he was happy to take the $1,000 a day for life to spoil himself and his family, but when reminded that he could also take a lump sum payment of $7 million, he reconsidered.
“I suppose at my age I could die in six months, so might as well take all the money now,” he said.
Gareau said he will put the money in the bank first, and will see what he plans to do with it later.
Gareau says he doesn’t have any major spending plans. He says his 2016 Volkwagen Golf runs perfectly fine and has no plans to change it, though he said he might finally replace his bicycle, which he says was stolen some time ago.
Asked how he reacted when he discovered he was the winner, Gareau said it was 4 a.m. when he noticed his ticket matched the numbers on Loto-Quebec’s website.
He said he wanted to go back to bed so he could check again in the morning.
“Trouble is, I couldn’t fall asleep again,” he said.
The ticket was bought in a convenience store in Terrebonne, north of Montreal.
The owner of the convenience store will receive a 1 per cent commission on the prize, or $70,000.