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He said he waited for 10 months because he was thinking. He signed his name and phone number on the ticket, and put it in a safe. Truong thought about what the win would mean for his family, and wanted to make sure they were ready and prepared for those changes.

“I’m thinking for the big one, pay the mortgage first, and I’m thinking about a holiday (when) everything’s done. But I’m not decided, and a lot of thinking has to be done,” he said.

Photo by Ed Kaiser / Postmedia

Truong said he did not plan on telling his three children the full details of his win because he wanted them to still work hard. “Maybe after 10 years or 20 years I’ll tell them,” he said.

The landscaper said he would probably return to work.

“I’m still young. I’m still strong,” Truong said. He might also still buy lottery tickets, he said, joking that he would simply buy the 649. His niece Mina Truong joined him at the announcement and said she didn’t believe her uncle when he first told her, but was very happy for the winner and his family.

“Coming here with nothing – nothing – after the Vietnam war, he worked. That’s all they did: work, save money to buy a house, their lives here, have a better life for their children, play the lottery, and finally after 30 years it pays off. You’re just really happy for them,” said Mina Truong.

This multimillion-dollar jackpot is the first big Alberta win purchased in the capital city, with the previous five top prizes finding winners in small communities.

Longtime family friend Don Bishop learned about the win a few days after Truong, and teared up speaking at the announcement Wednesday.

“I’ve known the Truong family since the ’70s and have admired them enormously – the hardest working people you’d ever want to meet. Delightful people.”

lijohnson@postmedia.com

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