Every Canada Day, while Thunder Bay is gearing up for fireworks, a phone rings somewhere.

On the other end of the line is a Fort William Rotarian, calling from inside a brand-new home to tell whoever answers that their life just changed.

If the winner is local — and the last few years, they have been — the Rotary Club tells them to drive safely. Don’t lose your mind. And then they wait at the front door with a giant key.

“It’s actually quite emotional for me,” says Cindy Levanto, Chair of the Fort William Rotary House Lottery. “From doing all the work… to the moment those people come through the door. That’s full circle. That’s a very proud moment.”

This July 1st, that call will happen for the 40th time. The Fort William Rotary House Lottery is turning 40 and to mark the milestone, this year’s draw comes with the biggest prize package in the lottery’s history.

A Milestone Year with a New Twist

What began in the 1980s as a small fundraiser, with volunteers going door-to-door trying to move 5,000 tickets, has grown into one of Northwestern Ontario’s most beloved community traditions.

One family celebrating, a group of volunteers watching months of work come to life, and dozens of local charities waiting to see what the year’s campaign will make possible.

To mark four decades, the Fort William Rotary Club is introducing something new: for the first time in the lottery’s history, the grand prize winner can choose between the home itself or a $600,000 cash option.

The home is a Triad Custom Built residence at 126 Bruin Crescent in Thunder Bay’s Parkdale subdivision. Valued at more than $766,000, it includes four bedrooms, three bathrooms, vaulted ceilings, a gas fireplace, custom cabinetry, quartz countertops, and LG stainless steel appliances.

Cindy says the cash option was designed to open the door wider. “You just walk away with money,” she says simply. “We thought it was a great time to launch it. A new spin on things for our 40th year.”

The Real Prize

The house is the headline. But it isn’t the heart of it.

Since the lottery launched, over $9 million has been returned to local charities across Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario.

Every ticket sold contributes to local charitable organizations, including Rotary Shelter House, Our Kids Count, George Jeffrey Children’s Foundation, Camp Quality, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation, Christmas Cheer, and  70 Elsie MacGill Air Cadet Squadron, to name a few.

“Knowing that we can give over $500,000 back to local charities almost every year,” Cindy says, “is pretty emotional as well.”

That number isn’t abstract. It’s food banks, children’s health care, community shelters, and cadet programs. Support that is funded year after year by people who bought a $100 ticket and took a shot.

The Winners

Jolene and Larry have lived in their home for 37 years. They’ve raised kids there, renovated it over time, and built a life on its two acres outside the city. When Cindy called on Canada Day last year, Larry was outside heating the pool. Jolene was vacuuming since they always throw a Canada Day party.

Larry came running in, phone in hand, not quite himself. When Jolene realized it was Cindy from the Rotary Club on the line — on speakerphone, as it turned out — her first instinct was pure disbelief.

“Cindy, this had better not be a joke,” she told her.

It wasn’t. A short while later, Jolene and Larry pulled up to the house to find the whole Rotary committee waiting at the door, clapping.

“My husband and I just kind of looked at each other like… I think we did win it,” Jolene recalls. “You dream of this kind of stuff, but it doesn’t happen to you.”

They sold the house right away and put the money to work. Their own home has been fully renovated. Two new vehicles sit in the driveway: a Lexus for Jolene, a Toyota Tacoma for Larry. There’s a new tractor out back for the two acres. A snow blower. A trailer.

“There is absolutely nothing we need to do here now,” she says. “Nothing.”

Her advice for anyone on the fence about a ticket this year: “Absolutely do it. If it can happen to us, it can happen to anybody.”

How to Get In

The draw takes place at noon on July 1, 2026. With only 25,000 tickets available, the odds are far better than most lotteries — and as of now, the lottery is already over 50 percent sold.

There’s also $50,000 in early bird prizes drawing throughout May and June, including draws worth $10,000, $5,000, and $2,500. The first early bird — $10,000 — was drawn May 8th.

Tickets are $100 each, or $250 for a 3-pack, and are available:

• Online at fwrotaryhouselottery.ca
• In-person at the Thunder Bay 50/50 store inside Intercity Shopping Centre
• At open houses every Sunday from 1:00–3:00 pm at 126 Bruin Crescent,

For Cindy and the Fort William Rotarians, every ticket is a little bit of both — a chance at something life-changing, and a contribution to a community they clearly love.

“Joining Rotary is so fulfilling,” she says. “We need people. We need people to help us raise money for this and to help our community.”

On Canada Day, after months of ticket sales, open houses, early bird draws, and volunteer hours, the phone will ring again.

Someone will answer, and for the 40th time, the Fort William Rotary will get to tell them their life just changed.

For tickets and more information, visit fwrotaryhouselottery.ca.

Lottery Licence No. RAF1536265