Provincial posted May 5, 2025 @ 05:25pm by Josh Duncan

‘It feels surreal’: Screams all around after BC woman wins $500K lotto prize

Earplugs may have been needed in the Reimer household after a life-changing lottery win.

Catherine Reimer was travelling back home to Port Alberni from Victoria when she learned that she had won a $500,000 Extra prize from the Lotto 6/49 draw on April 26.

<who>Photo Credit: BCLC</who>Catherine Reimer

“I checked the ticket and I don’t think you can share the words that I said,” a laughing Reimer said of the moment she won. “Then I just screamed, ‘I won the lottery!’”

The screams didn’t stop there, as her kids had a similar reaction to the news, which helped convince her husband she wasn’t yanking his chain when she called him shortly after.

“I had to call him a few times and when he called back, he wouldn’t believe me,” Reimer explained. “It took my kids screaming in the background for him to believe me.”

The family celebrated the win that day, but Reimer says she’s taking some time to plan how to spend the winnings.

For now, they’re just soaking it in and she says “it feels surreal.”

The winning ticket was purchased from the Petro Canada in Nanoose Bay on East Island Highway.

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