A Drumheller man and his family are the happy winners of $9.6 million on the Lotto 6/49 jackpot on May 30.

Aaron Johnston and his parents Mary and Gavin won $9,684,336 after purchasing the winning ticket at Barrmart Foods in Barrhead, where his parents reside.

Johnston was driving when his parents called and told him to pull over. He was not

expecting the news that followed.

“She said, ‘We won $9.6 million!’” he remembered. “I didn’t believe it at first, but I could hear in her voice that she was serious. I was just happy I pulled over.”

Now that they’ve claimed the prize and the win has begun to feel real, Aaron said his old lottery jackpot wish list has changed.

“Honestly, all of the things that I thought I would do aren’t even on the list anymore,” said Aaron. “I don’t really know what I want to do now.”

“It’s a bit overwhelming,” continued Mary. “Wonderful, but overwhelming. I think we all just want to make sure we take our time deciding what to do.”

Gavin agrees with his wife and son, but he added that he’s looking forward to being able to do one major thing with his windfall.

“I’m just happy to pay everything off,” he said. “We’re getting rid of the big banks in our life!”

United Conservative Party incumbent Rick Strankman (Drumheller-Stettler), supporter and former MP Art Hanger, and UCP nominee Grant Hunter (Taber-Warner) are in Drumheller today for door-to-door campaigning for their election into the conservative party. Strankman is an incumbent running for re-election on a platform to reduce taxes, combat rural crime, and reduce debt to better support services such as hospitals and schools.