Renfrew, Ont. lottery winner credits good karma for big win

Renfrew’s David Forrest says he was raised to always do the right thing. Now, he believes good karma has repaid him.

The 65-year-old school bus driver says he plays the lottery every week, and in last Tuesday’s Lotto Max draw, he finally hit it big.

“I just pulled [my tickets] out and I scanned one and the music goes off, and Jane says, oh, how much did you win? I said, $333 and 335 cents. Then I said, wait, something’s wrong here, that’s not right,” Forrest recalls.

“She came and grabbed my phone in my hand and she says, you won $333,000.”

Forrest was one of three tickets to match all seven numbers in the Maxmillions prize draw, meaning the $1-million prize was split amongst the ticket holders, earning Forrest $333,335.40.

“She used to give me grief for all the money that I spent on tickets too,” says Forrest, referring to his wife, Jane. “Not anymore,” she chimed back.

Forrest purchased his winning ticket at the Circle K convenience store on Raglan Street in Renfrew.

But he credits a gesture of good will, done just hours earlier, for his big win.

“On Tuesday, I was driving down Seventh Street and I found a wallet in the street, so I jumped out, and picked it up. I didn’t even check for money. I just wanted to know whose it was.”

Forrest said the wallet belonged to someone whose home was just up the street, so it was easy to return it.

“I just threw it in the mailbox, and I left my name and number.”

The owner of the wallet was Roch Quesnel, owner of Raglan Street Foods in Renfrew.

“He’s a good person and good things happen to good people,” said Quesnel.

“So you know, hopefully, if there’s any way that I could have helped, I’m glad to be part of it.”

Quesnel offered Forrest free steaks as a thank you. Forrest says he turned down the offer, having already won enough.

“I said, ‘I don’t need them, I’m good.’ I said, ‘This is what I woke up to this morning,’ and I showed him the printout of the winning $333,000.”

“I said, it’s good karma. That’s what you do. So anyways, he said he was going looking for wallets after.”

Forrest says he and his wife plan to take a vacation with the winnings and invest the rest, hoping to retire soon.

But despite his big win, Forrest says he will continue to play the lottery.

“I hear lots of people hitting the big dreams twice, so I’m hoping again someday.”