Jackpot

Now this is the kind of story I love to read. An aboriginal couple has won Canada’s second largest jackpot ever $50 million. Not only is the couple incredibly deserving of good fortune, but reports indicate they spent essentially their last $10 to get the winning ticket. Kirby Fontaine, 40, of the Sagkeeng First Nation told Canadian Press he suffered a stroke one year ago and felt very fortunate to have won. His wife Marie, 36 works as a personal care attendant and they are reported to have two children as well. The area where they live north of Winnipeg, Manitoba has been particularly hard hit by economic woes and one of the region’s greatest employers a pulp and paper mill locked employees out two months ago, so many on the reserve where the family lives and in the nearby area have been without income for months. Fontaine was employed at a casino until his poor health forced him to quit. As an aside Fontaine and his wife both noted they would use the winnings to help with his medical needs and his recovery. This jackpot “is going to benefit a lot of people, not just us — our families, our community, our province,” Kirby told public broadcaster CBC. And so it should.