B.C. mom screamed so loud, kids thought she'd cut her finger off

Photo: BCLC

Ashleigh Preston, a Squamish resident, recently won $1 million in the B.C. lottery.

A Squamish mom has won $1 million in the lottery from the Oct. 30 Lotto Max draw after buying the lucky ticket at a local store.

“It’s been a bit of a roller-coaster ride,” said Ashleigh Preston. “It is so amazing to win.”

 Preston purchased her ticket at the Walmart on Discovery Way in Squamish on a whim while she was at checkout, explained a BCLC news release.

The day after the draw, Preston’s mom phoned her and mentioned that the winning ticket had been purchased in Squamish, so she checked her ticket from home using the lottery app.

It’s a good thing her mom gave her that tip.

“I just started screaming,” she recalled. “My husband was outside so didn’t know what had happened, and because I was in the kitchen, my kids thought I had cut my finger off!”

After celebrating in the kitchen with her kids, Preston knew the next thing she had to do was phone her mom back.

“All my mom could say was, ‘Oh My God,’” she said.

Preston said the money will go into savings, but some of it has been set aside for a few treats.

She put an order in for a new Ford Explorer, a vehicle she’s long coveted.

Preston said she’d also like to visit the Caribbean once travel has been deemed safe.