Johns Manville workers in Innisfail had a big payday on Friday.

A group of 26 workers at the plant won the Super 7 lottery draw, which was worth $15 million dollars.

“It feels great. It’s still hard for it to sink in,” said Red Deer resident Terry Boase, one of the winners.

“I’ve won a couple of thousand, but nothing major. Nothing like this.”

Boase started the aptly named $10-million Plus Lottery Club in 2002, gathering 28 workers who chipped in $4 each whenever there was a Super 7 draw of $10 million or more.

Since it began, two workers dropped out and Boase took over their shares.

He spent Friday at a park with his wife Maria and his grandchildren. Driving home, the couple joked that the only thing that would make the day better would be to win the lottery.

It wound up being no joke after Boase looked up the lottery numbers.

“I got halfway through, I found the right one, and I didn’t check the rest,” Boase said.

He picked up the ticket at the Red Deer South Sobeys, one of seven, eight-number combination quick pick tickets, worth $112.

Boase called one of the other guys, who also looked them up and confirmed that they’d won.

With the shares of those who dropped out, Boase will get $1.6 million of the $15-million jackpot. The other 25 workers will get around $536,000 each.

Cam Beaton, production manager at Johns Manville, said when Boase phoned he was shocked.

“I didn’t really believe him. Initially I was just numb.”

When the winning numbers were verified Saturday, Beaton said he was pretty happy.

For Boase, 58, it means retirement will come a little sooner. He planned to retire in the next two or three years, but now it will only be a matter of weeks.

He said his wife Maria and he will probably travel to England, where he emigrated from in 1982, and also see the rest of Europe. They also plan to visit Eastern Canada and Houston, where their son is living.

Beaton, 50, plans to use his money to invest for retirement, which he said he can now plan for in the next decade.

“It sort of smooths out your future a little bit,” said Beaton, who is happy so many will benefit from the money.

“That’s the good side of this win at $15 million and having 26 people involved. It really spreads it around, which I think is good.”

Boase said the rest of the winners range in age from their 30s to their 50s, and are from Red Deer, Innisfail, Olds and the surrounding area. He expects most will continue to work at Johns Manville, which has a workforce of around 150 and produces non-formaldehyde fibreglass insulation.

Boase said the group will likely head to St. Albert on Friday to pick up their winnings.

Contact Stacy O’Brien at sobrien@reddeeradvocate.com