ARCOLA — It was a day 55-year-old Cora Cuthbert never imagined would happen, winning $18 million as part of the LOTTO 6/49 Gold Ball jackpot.
Cuthbert, who is from Pheasant Rump Nakota First Nation, had been sitting at work when she scanned her ticket on the lottery app.
“[I] Scan the ticket, and I’m like, what? So I had to [get my co-workers to scan it five times that morning initially.”
One of those co-workers was Cuthbert’s cousin, who broke the news to her.
“She just jumped out of her chair and said, ‘you won the lottery.’”
Still in shock, Cuthbert and her co-workers headed to a pharmacy in Arcola and got the ticket checked there.
When word got out about her win, Cuthbert said people started texting her that this happened because of her dad, who passed away in June.
“I was very close to my dad.” She added, “He didn’t want to see me go through the pain that I endured when he died. So I’m taking this as a gift and a blessing.”
Now with her new winnings, Cuthbert said she’s going to help her family.
“Well, I want to splurge on my son. My dog may be. And then we’re going to move to the extent [of my families] like my brothers and sisters.”
Those splurges include trips to Edmonton and Hawaii.
Cuthbert also wants to use her winnings to shed more light on the trauma First Nations people suffered in residential schools by producing films.
“My mother suffered in a residential school, but she’s not the only one.”
“[So], I want to make sure that not only her story is out there but other people’s stories too.”
Cuthbert plans to work with her cousin and see how far they can get in the film industry.
As for herself, Cuthbert managed to retire as of Wednesday from her career as a home health aid.
“I’ve been doing this for quite some time. And now I’m done. I’m going to look after myself for a while.”
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