EDITOR’S LETTER
A good way to pass the buck BY SUSAN LUNDY
My uncle received a teary phone call from his elderly aunt, whom most of us assumed was wealthy. But it turned out she was suffering financially and Uncle Bill’s gift would make all the difference in the world. He also slipped $10,000 to the clerk who sold him the ticket. In the 15 years since his win, Uncle Bill and Shirley have travelled the world. They live comfortably but not ostentatiously. In my home, I have an “Uncle Bill bathroom,” built with the gift he gave me. There may not be any lottery winners in this edition of Boulevard — although you’ll find some high rollers in our Las Vegas travel story — but there are definitely people living out their dreams and passions. Meet accountant Dan Little, who has learned the keys to his success; jewellery maker Rita Taylor, who discovered her passion along a twisting road of hard work and determination; Chevy Stevens, whose life has changed “enormously” since becoming a New York Times bestselling author; and Liam Callanan, who’s living out his dream as a chef with Coast Bastion Hotels. Speaking of dreams, join me on a journey to an uber exclusive penthouse suite in Sooke, or tag along with writer Angela Cowan on a trip through Nanaimo’s Old City Quarter. Enjoy Caesars, tacos and health-boosting pumpkin seeds, tour a spectacular house and feast your eyes on romantic fashion, shot at the beautiful Tigh-Na-Mara in Parksville. Tasha Vitaly at Sartorial Boutique talks style with Boulevard fashion stylist Katherine Suna, and Front Row writer Sherry Conly offers up some of the best in upcoming entertainment in the mid-island. In the meantime, there are several morals to my uncle’s story, starting with the lasting joy of giving and helping people in need, as well as the fun of bringing family together in a positive setting. But let’s not forget this one: always consider turning to a woman to find your winning number. PHOTO BY LIA CROWE
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BOUT 15 YEARS AGO, my uncle was flipping through TV stations when the Lotto 649 numbers flashed on the screen. The numbers looked familiar. In fact, they look darned familiar. Ever since he was a boy choosing sports jerseys, Uncle Bill always picked out numbers heavy in fours and ones. He had been using a four and one combination on lotto tickets for years, but this particular week, he asked his wife, Shirley, for her lucky number and inserted a 20 for his usual 11. Holding his breath, he waited another 15 minutes for the numbers to flash on again. Then he went upstairs and said to Shirley, “I think we may have just won a substantial amount of money.” That night he and Shirley slept with the ticket under the mattress. They rose early and started their journey to the lotto centre to claim their $2.4 million prize. On a recent holiday weekend, I travelled to my uncle’s hometown on the coast for a visit. I hadn’t seen him in years, and sadly, his health is failing. As we drove down the main street of his town, he pointed out the store where he bought his winning ticket, and I was reminded all over again of his amazing generosity. Winning the lottery is the stuff of fantasy — many of us dream about divvying up the bucks of a big win, perhaps envisioning a life of leisure or travel. I like what my uncle did with his winnings and not only because a nice sum came my way. Immediately upon collecting his cheque, he walked into several Lower Mainland banks and paid off the mortgages of his three children, who were all in their 30s. He gave them a little fun money, but the bulk of their gain comes from the $1.5 million he invested with plans to live off the interest. They will inherit that money. For himself… not so much. He bought a few things, like a new set of golf clubs . But he handed out a big chunk of it at a family gathering to people I’d come accustomed to seeing mostly at funerals. This was a much more joyous occasion! None of us had any idea how much our cheques would be, and most were dumbstruck by the amounts. (In a wicked older sibling moment, I looked at my brother’s cheque — which matched mine precisely — and said, “Yikes, you only got that much?”)
WINNING THE LOTTERY IS THE STUFF OF FANTASY — MANY OF US DREAM ABOUT DIVVYING UP THE BUCKS OF A BIG WIN, PERHAPS ENVISIONING A LIFE OF LEISURE OR TRAVEL.
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Boulevard editor Susan Lundy is a former journalist and twotime recipient of the prestigious Jack Webster Award. Her award-winning stories have appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers, and she is also the author of Heritage Apples: A New Sensation (Touchwood Editions, 2013).