It wasn't until Gatineau resident Linda Michaud went to buy a Canada Lotto Max ticket that she discovered an old ticket in her purse.

She asked the store clerk to check it, but didn't appear surprised according to staff there.

“I have never won money so I didn’t believe her [cashier] when she told me I had won $1 million,” Michaud told reporters at the Casino Lac Leamy.

Instead, thinking that she was the butt of a practical joke, she began looking for the hidden camera.

It ended happily. The Montreal resident in her 50's left with a $1 million claim form and headed home to fill it out.

The winning ticket was purchased at L’Instant tobacco shop in the Galeries Aylmer shopping center, located at 181 Rue Principale in Gatineau.

The retailer will receive a 1% commission of $10,000.