Nine coworkers at Guelph, Ont., car parts plant split $60-million lotto jackpot

GUELPH, Ont. – A group of coworkers at an Ontario automotive parts plant are the winners of a $60-million lottery jackpot.

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. says the nine colleagues worked the same shift on an assembly line in Guelph, Ont.

They say they only began buying lottery tickets as a group in the last few months of 2018 as the jackpot crept higher.

They got lucky on Dec. 21 when their ticket came up in the Ontario Lotto Max draw.

The coworkers, eight of whom describe themselves as immigrants, say they have big plans for the winnings they collected on Thursday.

While some plan to buy new homes or take a family trip to Disneyland, one winner hopes to open an Ethiopian restaurant while another intends to explore Canada.

“I’ve been in Canada for less than a year and so far I’ve only known work,” winner Bassam Abdi said. “I’m excited to explore the country.”