'We're just very excited': Marion Bridge, N.S., man claims Chase the Ace jackpot
Two days after cashing in on the big Chase the Ace jackpot in Dominion, N.S., Martin Duffney still can't believe his luck.
“We decided that someone here would flip the card and the woman on the phone was saying, 'Left or right?' I asked my wife, 'Which one, left or right?' And she picked left and that was the one,” said Duffney.
Flipping the ace allowed Duffney to claim the prize of $176,571.20.
It couldn't have come at a better time for the 64-year-old and his wife, Nancy.
"It's indescribable because it's going to allow us to keep our home. The option was there because of my situation when I turn 65, but now we're good to go,” said Duffney.
The fundraiser lasted a year and was down to just two cards on Saturday.
It became an event the entire community got behind.
“They loved it. Pretty well every business in town sold our tickets and the last number of weeks, it's been crazy. People have been driving from Baddeck just to go to one store here in town to buy tickets, every business was busy,” said Paul Prince, past president of the Dominion branch of the Royal Canadian Legion and one of the game’s organizers.
Money raised will help with renovations at the legion, and also go towards the Hawks Dream Field project.
For years, the project has been fundraising for a $3.5 million accessible baseball field in the community.
“We're very close to our numbers. The actual work is supposed to be finished on June 23 with the grand opening on July 2,” said Toni McNeil, co-chair with the Hawks Dream Field Project.
Meanwhile, Duffney says he will be splitting his big win with his daughter and planning to take a trip or two.
“It's like we're still high on adrenaline, that's just what it's like. We're having a hard time sleeping. We're just very excited,” he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Experts warn of 'rapid' growth of IBD as number of Canadians diagnosed set to reach 470K by 2035
The number of people in Canada with inflammatory bowel disease is increasing rapidly and is expected to grow to 470,000 by 2035, according to a new report from Crohn's and Colitis Canada.

'Torch has been passed': What younger generations need to know about inheriting a family cottage
As more Canadians pass their family cottages down to the next generation, 'major shifts' in the ownership of recreational homes will occur, according to Re/Max. But amid concerns around the cost of housing, some may be wondering whether they can afford to keep that family cottage. Here's what younger generations need to know about inheriting a recreational property and the market today.
Poilievre tries to head off PPC vote as Bernier bets on social conservatives
Pierre Poilievre is off to Manitoba to rally Conservative supporters ahead of a byelection that Maxime Bernier is hoping will send him back to Parliament. The far-right People's Party of Canada leader lost his Quebec seat in the 2019 federal vote and lost again in the 2021 election.
Canadian Jamal Murray makes a difference in NBA finals game 1
The highlight of Game 1 for Jamal Murray came when he dribbled into the middle, planted his surgically repaired left knee in the paint, made a full clockwise turn, then faded away and swished a mid-range jumper.
Nixing Canadian experience rule spells opportunity for Ontario foreign engineers, workers say
Accessible Community Counselling and Employment Services, a charity that supports internationally trained engineers like Zaitsev, said the dropping of the Canadian experience requirement is a welcome development.
Kyiv defences thwart Russia's 6th air assault in 6 days against Ukraine capital
Ukrainian air defences shot down more than 30 Russian cruise missiles and drones in Moscow's sixth air attack in six days on Kyiv, local officials said Friday. The Ukrainian capital was simultaneously attacked from different directions by Iranian-made Shahed drones and cruise missiles from the Caspian region.
Biden trips after speech addressing U.S. Air Force Academy graduates
U.S. President Joe Biden quipped that he got 'sandbagged' Thursday after he tripped and fell -- but was uninjured -- while onstage at the U.S. Air Force Academy graduation.
5 things to know for Friday, June 2, 2023
More Canadians have inflammatory bowel disease, Meta prepares to block news for some Canadians on Facebook and Instagram, and there's a fight for conservative voters in Manitoba.
Australian decorated hero quits corporate job after Afghanistan war crime revelations
Australia's most decorated living war veteran Ben Roberts-Smith quit his corporate job Friday after a civil court blamed him for unlawfully killing four Afghans, escalating calls for the tarnished national hero to be stripped of his revered Victoria Cross medal.