Thunder Bay 50/50 Hits New Historic Milestone
Published Monday, August 18, 2025
Lotteries Manager Torin Gunnell and Lotteries Development Assistant Cassandra Carangi, celebrate the Thunder Bay 50/50's 24th millionaire milestone.
The Thunder Bay 50/50 has done it again. With the August jackpot climbing past $1 million just days after tickets went on sale, the lottery has reached a new milestone: two full years of million-dollar grand prizes. As Canada's largest hospital 50/50 lottery, the Thunder Bay 50/50 continues to award life-changing winnings to players across Ontario while generating millions to help fund vital equipment and patient care at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.
Since August 2023, every monthly draw has awarded a grand prize of $1 million or more — a winning streak unmatched in Canadian hospital lottery history. Four of those jackpots topped the $2 million mark, and in December 2024 the lottery awarded an astonishing $6.34 million, the largest hospital 50/50 prize ever awarded in the country.
“I still remember launching the very first Thunder Bay 50/50 draw back in 2021 — we were just hoping people would buy tickets,” said Hospital Foundation CEO Glenn Craig. “Now, four and a half years later, we're celebrating 24 straight months of million-dollar plus grand prizes. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine it would grow into something this phenomenal. It's inspiring, it's humbling, and it's completely changed what's possible for health care in our region. It's one of the most powerful fundraising tools we've ever had.”
Behind the scenes, the Thunder Bay 50/50's success is powered by a small but passionate team, with Lotteries Manager Torin Gunnell driving its success. Since day one, the group has poured creativity, strategy, and heart into building something truly special.
“We've put a lot of thought and heart into every draw — from how we grow the prize to how we engage with our players,” said Gunnell. “Most recently, we introduced subscriptions so supporters can automatically receive their tickets at the beginning of every month and never miss a single draw. It's just one of the ways we've continued building on the momentum and success we've seen since launching the 50/50 back in 2021.”
To date, the Thunder Bay 50/50 has awarded over $71 million in prizes to winners across Ontario. In the past 23 months alone, more than $44 million in total prizes has been awarded — and this month's draw is proving to be just as exciting.
The August Dog Days of Summer draw is already shaping up to break records again — and it's one of the most popular draws of the year outside of Christmas. With the grand prize on track to reach $2 million or more and plenty of Early Bird prizes still to be won, there's no better time to get your tickets and be part of the excitement. Tickets are available at www.thunderbay5050.ca.