DALHOUSIE, New Brunswick — Shaun Ryan held a piece of paper worth $50 million inside his Dalhousie home for days, completely aware of local rumors but refusing to look at it. He simply wanted the suspense to linger.
The gamble paid off in full. Atlantic Lottery officials confirmed that Ryan, a retired resident of Restigouche County on Chaleur Bay, matched all seven numbers drawn on 6 November to claim the entire $50 million Lotto Max prize. Local chatter had already tipped off the household that the winning slip came from their county. Yet Ryan stalled when his family urged him to check his numbers.
"My wife asked if we had a ticket and then my son texted me and asked if we bought one," Ryan said in statements released by the Atlantic Lottery. "My wife asked if I was going to go check it and I said, 'No, not yet. I want to keep the dream alive.'"
He checked it eventually. Every single digit lined up.
"Boom, boom, boom," Ryan said. "My heart was racing."
The eight-figure windfall fundamentally alters the household's day-to-day reality. Ryan is already retired, but his wife, Colette, works as a schoolteacher. The win ends her career in the classroom effective immediately.
Their immediate plans diverge sharply. Colette intends to travel the globe. Ryan wants none of that, opting instead for quiet days at home looking after the family dogs. Both agree, however, on where the bulk of the fortune belongs: securing the future of their seven children and their grandchildren.
There's a responsibility I feel toward the community and organizations that I want to be of service to and help them out in certain ways. Fifty million dollars is a heavy load, and there's a lot to think of because there's a lot that could be done for the community.
Shaun Ryan, Lotto Max Winner
Beyond domestic distributions, Ryan plans to channel substantial financial backing into community projects across northern New Brunswick. While specific beneficiary organizations remain under review, Ryan acknowledged the sheer weight of managing such sudden liquidity.
"It's just unreal," Ryan noted. "It's a little overwhelming, but I'm happy to have the chance to feel it."
| Jackpot Parameter | Official Detail |
|---|---|
| Grand Prize Amount | $50,000,000 CAD |
| Winning Ticket Holder | Shaun Ryan (Dalhousie, N.B.) |
| Winning Draw Date | 6 November |
| Announcing Authority | Atlantic Lottery (10 November) |
| Retail Vendor Commission | $500,000 CAD (1% to Circle K, Dalhousie) |
| Tax Status | 100% Tax-Free Principal (CRA Regulations) |
The win also delivered a massive cash injection to the local merchant that printed the slip. Under Atlantic Lottery rules, retail vendors collect a seller's prize equaling one percent of the grand jackpot. That rule hands a clean $500,000 payout directly to the Circle K convenience store in Dalhousie.
Under regulations enforced by the Canada Revenue Agency, lottery windfalls carry zero income tax liability. Ryan collects the full $50 million sum untouched. Any future capital gains, business profits, or investment interest generated by the capital will fall under standard federal and provincial tax codes.
Nor is Ryan the only maritime winner to test his nerves against the clock. Atlantic Lottery records show that crab fisherman Merel Chiasson of Bas-Caraquet, New Brunswick, left a winning Lotto 6/49 ticket sitting on his bedroom dresser for 347 days following an April 2023 draw. Chiasson walked into lottery headquarters just 19 days before the slip expired, taking home $64 million on the Gold Ball jackpot—a payout that stood as Atlantic Canada's all-time record.
With official claim paperwork finalized at Atlantic Lottery headquarters, Ryan now turns to structuring long-term trust funds for his children and consulting local civic bodies across Restigouche County to roll out his first tranche of community donations.