THUNDER BAY – One lucky Thunder Bay resident has plenty to celebrate this Canada Day after winning a new home valued at $750,000 in the Fort William Rotary house lottery.
Liana Frenette was announced as the winner of the 37th annual charity raffle on stage during Canada Day festivities at Marina Park on Saturday.
Rotarians had plenty to smile about, too, as they reported a record fundraising haul of over $600,000, which will be distributed to over a dozen non-profits serving the community.
“Our president Irene got to give her a call and give her the great news, and she was totally excited,” said Fort William Rotary past-president Stephen Margarit. “She thought it was a joke, but obviously not. Pretty soon, she’ll be getting the keys to a brand new house.”
“It’ll be up to the winner, she can decide to either keep it or sell it. Regardless, we’re just happy that we’re able to give away a house and change someone’s life while also raising significant funds to give back to the community.”
The Parkdale subdivision home, custom-built by Triad Contracting, is one of the most expensive lottery houses to date.
The home is a bi-level with an attached single-vehicle garage, featuring nine-foot-high ceilings throughout, four bedrooms, a partially covered backyard deck, and a recreation room on the lower level with a built-in fireplace.
The full details on the amount of money raised through the lottery will be shared at an announcement in the coming weeks.
Margarit said Fort William Rotary is already working on securing a house for next year, and ticket sales will open up in late February or early March.
