Couple welcomed into the ‘millionaires club’

However, CEO and president of SIGA Zane Hansen said Alphonse is no longer on the board.

“He was on our board approximately three years ago,” Hansen said Tuesday at the cheque presentation.

“We go through an audit process. Our Smoke Signals, like every other slot machine in all our casinos, they’re run on a network by Western Canada Lottery Corp, so for large prizes like this they go through an audit verification process. So that just takes about 48 hours to complete,” he said.

Both Alphonse and Jacqueline were sitting at the machine and playing when it went off, so the cheque was written out to Jacqueline on behalf of the couple—something common when married couples win, Hansen said.

“It’s really a happy day for both of them.”

Alphonse recapped the moment it all happened.

“It just happened. It just showed up. I had my nephew standing beside us and we were taking turns trying to win because we knew it was getting to close,” he said. “It was exciting.”

They couple thanked SIGA and the Northern Lights Casino for “changing their lives.”

Alphonse said they’re also thankful of those who’ve supported them.

“It’s been a struggle for us for the past couple of years trying to establish business and those family and friends that came through and we told them we won’t forget them. We’re also going to reinvest and expand the business and buy a boat,” he said.

But the first thing on the list in some “new shoes,” he added with a chuckle.

Now the pair is going to take some time off “and just be thankful that we’re all healthy and we’re going to use this in a good way.”

He admits life will be easier from here on, but said they’re going to continue to work.

A family affair

Alphonse said they have three sons and daughter and couple grandchildren, in addition to their large family.

“So many nephews showed up in the past two days,” he said. “We have a very strong family as First Nations folks … it’s a family win, it’s a community win and we hope we don’t forget anybody,” he said.

“Good things happen, like I said, to good people, so it’s worked out well.”

Doris Staflund won the Smoke Signals jackpot in March 2014, walking home with a $1,159,434.80 cheque. She was there to welcome the couple into the ‘millionaires club.’

Smoke Signals is a wide-area progressive jackpot that links 44 slot machines from all six SIGA casinos. It starts at $1 million and builds as people play.

sstone@panow.com

On Twitter: @sarahstone84

by Sarah Stone

Couple welcomed into the ‘millionaires club’

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