A lottery ticket tucked away in a pocket for nearly a year turned out to make a northern Alberta couple newly minted millionaires.

Judy and Dennis Krop have a strict lottery ticket routine they follow, but sometimes life gets in the way. Earlier this year, Dennis had a health scare, and they didn’t get a chance to check some of their tickets.

It turns out the couple from Ashmont, Alta., held the winning numbers from the Jan. 18 Lotto 6/49 draw, and they won $1-million.

“Judy buys the tickets, and I handle the validation,” explained Dennis, about their normal routine. “But I had this one in my pocket for a long time, so Judy actually checked it this time.”

Judy went into a store to check the tickets, while Dennis waited in the truck, and she couldn’t wait to tell him the big news.

Thei

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