Lyn man scratches $75K birthday gift

In this Friday, May 27, 2016 photo provided by OLG, Brian Hackett of Lyn, Ont. picks up his winnings at the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation's head office. (OLG via Newswatch Group)

LYN – Talk about a great birthday gift!

Brian Hackett of Lyn got two scratch tickets from his wife for his birthday.

He won $5 on one ticket so he decided to buy two more Instant More Lucky Lines.

“I didn’t even realize that I won,” Hackett said after scratching both tickets. “I took the tickets back into the store and scanned them in the ticket checker. That’s when I saw ‘Big Winner – $75,000’. I had to scan the ticket again and I saw the same thing but I couldn’t believe it! It wasn’t until the retailer validated it that I knew it was true,” he said.

With retirement two years away, Brian is planning to invest his windfall.

“This money will be our nest egg. I don’t have a pension so this has come along at the perfect time,” he said.

He also plans to pay off his truck, get his wife a new car and take a winter vacation to the Dominican Republic.

The winning ticket was sold at the Canadian Tire Gas Bar on Stewart Boulevard in Brockville.