Ontario: Teacher lottery winner claims $21.4M jackpot prize

Ontario, Canada - A Toronto-area high school teacher has claimed the $21.4 Million lottery jackpot prize that he won, almost three months after the lottery date.

Craig Henshaw, a high school teacher, holding an over-sized $21.4M cheque at the office of Ontario Lottery and Gaming Tuesday | Photo courtesy of Ontario Lottery

Craig Henshaw, 42, was not aware that he had the winning ticket for the Lotto Max draw last July 8th. He reportedly pinned the ticket to his fridge and left for Europe with his girlfriend a few days later for a vacation. He said he was counting his pennies during his Euro trip not knowing that he had millions waiting for him at home.

"I had no idea I had $21 million sitting on my fridge at home," Henshaw said after being presented with a large cheque.

"I wouldn't have been living out of a backpack for two months if I'd known (about the money)," he added.

It wasn’t until Henshaw was back teaching at school that he decided to check a stack of tickets at a grocery store. At first he thought he won $21,000 which made him quite happy. But when he talked with a lottery official on the phone who said, no, it was $21 million, he dropped the phone.

Henshaw, who teaches wood shop and technology, plans to use the money that he won to pay for his nieces' and nephew's college education and bring his girlfriend back to Europe, in style this time, and possibly to tie knot with her. He is also planning to take a year off from teaching.