Manitoba firefighter-paramedic wins whopping $40 million Lotto Max prize

A firefighter-paramedic who responded to the Carberry, Man., bus crash last year is now a multi-millionaire.

Matthew Tannas won a $40 million Lotto Max jackpot — the fourth-biggest prize ever won in Manitoba.

Tannas lives in Hamiota and was on scene when a bus collided with a semi-truck on Highway 1 on June 15, 2023, killing 17 seniors.

He was one of the 134 first responders inducted into the province’s Order of the Buffalo Hunt earlier this year.

But despite his windfall, he has no plans to retire.

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“I’m definitely going to keep working, I love my job, I love the guys I work with. It’s an extended family, and the community we provide service for is a good community,” Tannas said.

He does plan to help his parents retire, support his three kids through university, and help restore his daughter’s Jeep.

Tannas bought the ticket when he was out working as a big game guide in Alberta.

When he realized he had won, he immediately drove to his wife’s office to tell her the news.

“Initially she thought it was $40,000, so she was over-the-moon excited. Until she started counting the zeros. There might have been a little bit of tears and some hugging.”

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