Yellowknife (Apr 13/05) - Two longtime lottery players found out they had each won about $100,000 on March 24, though there is still a $1 million ticket outstanding.

After checking his ticket, Ray Gagnon "originally thought it was 10 grand, which made me bop off the walls, but then she told me it was $107,000."

Gagnon, 51, bought the Lotto 6/49 ticket at the Sport North kiosk in Centre Square Mall on March 19.

The next day, he was on a plane to the Western Canada Lottery Corporation's head office just outside Edmonton to claim his prize.

"They just give you a cheque," he says, adding tax is only paid on income earned through investing the money.

He plays often because "you can't catch a fish if you don't have a hook on the line."

As for how to spend the loot, the single father of one owns his home, has no debt and just bought a new car last year.

Some of the money will be put toward the safety officer's retirement, and another chunk will help his daughter Nicole with her baby, expected in June.

Karen Sunderland has already spent her $100,000.

She buys tickets every week from Grace at the Extra Foods downtown.

Her husband Tony made sure she checked her ticket the week of March 24 after he saw a "lucky winner in Yellowknife" notice when checking the lottery website.

Soon after, the 54-year-old found out she had won.

"It's not enough to retire, it's not enough to buy a house, so you do the next best thing," she says.

Which means Tony gets a 2005 soft seat Harley Davidson motorcycle, and Sunderland's buying herself a 2005 three-wheel Suzuki motorcycle.

There have been small amounts of cash won in the past, "but nothing like this," she said.

Aside from giving some money to family members and paying off the couple's debt, not much will change.

"I'm going to keep buying my tickets from Grace," she said.

The owner of October's million dollar ticket - found to have been purchased in Yellowknife - is encouraged to call 1-800-665-3313.