Gary Golaiy's numbers came up on Saturday.
The Squamish-born resident matched all six numbers in the Jan. 19 Lotto 6/49 draw and won the $3,316,843.20 jackpot from a ticket he purchased at the Husky gas station on Garibaldi Way in Squamish.
In a conversation from the BC Lottery Corp. office in Richmond just after he accepted his winnings on Monday, Jan. 21, Golaiy said he doesn't have any plans yet now that he's a millionaire.
"I have absolutely no idea," said Golaiy when asked what he intends to do with all the cash. "I really don't know, there's just a blur still. I've got lots of time to think about it. I'll be doing a lot of thinking, that's for sure."
Golaiy said he has lived on a disability pension since being injured in a 1986 car accident that ended his construction career as a drywall installer.
The new millionaire indicated he was happy, sad and nervous all at the same time after collecting his winnings.
The numbers Golaiy chose were very strategically selected. He said his dog, a poodle, died on Jan. 4 so that gave him one and four to represent the fourth day of the first month.
"She was six years old when she died so I picked number six and 2013 so that was 20 and 13, and I was just kicking around thinking what the hell am I going to do for the number," said Golaiy. "I just added those last numbers up and come to 44 so I put that in and by Jesus they all come up! It was just a fluke."
Golaiy, a divorced father of one daughter, was the lone player across the country to match the six main numbers.
He said he stepped out onto the veranda of his trailer after he compared his numbers to the winning list and announced his good news to his neighbours, who just happened to be outside at the time.
"I yelled out, 'Hey, it's not fixed! People out west do win,'" said Golaiy.
Golaiy's big win comes 18 months after Squamish resident Marlene Everett won $3.4 million through Lotto 6/49.
