The Dream of a Lifetime lottery for CHEO, with a home as the centrepiece of the grand prize, was launched in 1991. Its fundraising goal that year was $1 million, an ambitious target back in the day but far less than the value of this year’s grand prize alone (more than $3.7 million), never mind all the other prizes that are now part of the popular lottery.
Now in its 35th year, the annual event was initiated to raise money for a new $6 million research centre at the hospital. In 1991, the lottery had a grand prize worth $300,000, a package that included a new Minto home in east end Chapel Hill, furniture and decorating, a new car, a vacation in Hawaii, and groceries and gas for a year.
Various builders, including Minto, provided the winning homes during the 1990s, but Minto has been the sole supplier since 2001. (The CHEO Foundation purchases the homes at a discounted price.) Needless to say, home styles have changed over the decades, square footage has soared and values ratcheted skyward, especially during the past few years.
To date, the lottery has raised $110 million for the hospital and tickets have often sold out. The money has been used for everything from equipment purchases and staff training to funding research at CHEO’s Research Institute.
Here’s a look back at the homes and prize packages since the lottery’s inception.
1991
The inaugural Dream of a Lifetime lottery featured a Minto “Pasteur B” single-family home in east end Chapel Hill as the star attraction of its grand prize. Part of Minto’s First Edition series, the four-bedroom, 1,900-square-foot home was valued at $185,900 and featured, among other attractions, a Canadiana front porch, a glass-enclosed vestibule, “family-style” kitchen with a breakfast nook and pantry, a main-floor laundry, and a walk-in closet and ensuite in the master bedroom.
The home, which also boasted a fully sodded lot and paved driveway, came with a $10,000 decorating package from KISS Interiors, which decorated the dream home for many years thereafter. The home was built for the winner, Gary Eastman, after the draw rather than before, as is now the case.
Eastman’s winnings included a trip for two to Hawaii, a 1992 Sunbird and gas for a year and more. There were 10 other prizes that year, ranging from appliances to a 26-inch colour TV.
- Total value of grand prize: $600,000
- Total raised for CHEO: $800,000
1992
In 1992, the winner had a choice of one of three single-family homes by Wedgewood Building Corporation, Braebury Homes or Holitzner Homes in the Gates of Longfield in Barrhaven. Each home was worth about $200,000.
“I’m still in shock,” the winner, Sue Venne, told the Ottawa Citizen after being notified her ticket had been drawn. A 28-year-old nurse and bride-to-be, Venne had been saving to buy a house with her fiancé, David Michalowicz, when she won the lottery. The couple selected a home by Holitzner.
- Total value of grand prize: $300,000+
- Total raised for CHEO: $800,000
1993
By the time of the third Dream of a Lifetime lottery, the proposed research facility that helped launch the lottery in 1991 had been built and the annual draw was proving to be a popular event. In 1993, the grand prize featured a fully furnished and decorated Braebury home in Kanata, a sprinkler system, a new car and more. The winning couple took cash in lieu of the home. That year, the lottery had 51 prizes worth a total of $537,000.
- Total value of grand prize: $300,000
- Total raised for CHEO: $900,000+
1994
Tamarack Development Corp. offered its four-bedroom, 2,160-square-foot Castelford model on a corner lot in Kanata in 1994. Valued at $205,000, the brick-and-vinyl home’s interior blended traditional and contemporary elements, including a kitchen running along the back of the home, a patio door, picture windows and bleached oak cabinetry. Upstairs, the master bedroom included a four-piece ensuite with a Roman tub. Along with the home, the grand prize included furniture, home cleaning for a year, moving and legal expenses and more.
- Total value of grand prize: $310,000
- Total raised for CHEO: unavailable
1995
Tamarack was back in the picture in 1995, providing a $200,000 home in Bridlewood that was part of a grand prize that included a car, furniture and other decor, cleaning services for a year and more. Greens, yellows and reds gave the home — Tamarack’s Providence model — a harvest theme in keeping with the October launch of the lottery. Large rooms, openness and a circular staircase defined the 2,000-square-foot home, while touches like the luxurious, emerald-coloured master bedroom with its four-poster bed set it apart from your standard suburban home.
- Total value of grand prize: $300,000
- Total raised for CHEO: unavailable
1996
The 1,900-square-foot Bridgewater single-family home, again by Tamarack, headlined the 1996 Dream of a Lifetime lottery. Valued at $200,000, professionally designed by KISS Interiors, and furnished by the now-vanished-but-once-iconic Colonial Furniture, the Barrhaven home was kept neutral — including what designer Shelley Levin called “a gorgeous shade of beige” on the walls — to appeal to a broad swath of potential winners. Highlights included an open-concept L-shaped living/dining room, a kitchen with both an island and a peninsula, and a cathedral ceiling in the master bedroom.
- Total value of grand prize: $297,000
- Total raised for CHEO: almost $2 million
1997
The 1997 grand prize, a luxurious home in Bridlewood, came in the nick of time for winner Mark Edwards. Although gainfully employed, mounting bills had him considering declaring bankruptcy when he learned his ticket for the grand prize had been drawn.
“I have never won anything other than a dollar on a scratch and win ticket,” he said in an interview. Tamarack’s Westminster, a five-bedroom home with more than 3,000 square feet, came with furnishings and appliances, an interior decorating package and a year’s worth of groceries. “Now, I just cut 20 years off my working life,” said Edwards.
- Total value of grand prize: $304,000
- Total raised for CHEO: $1 million
1998
A 3,025-square-foot home by Ashcroft Homes was the grand prize in the 1998 Dream of a Lifetime lottery. Dubbed the Fifth Avenue and featuring a sunken living room, a three-sided fireplace and an upstairs loft, the $426,000 home was in Ashcroft’s Central Park development across from the Experimental Farm. The winning ticket was paid for by a cheque that bounced, but lottery organizers decided to let the winner, a financial adviser, keep the home. He sold it the next year for $270,000. The 1998 lottery boasted more than $1.2 million in prizes, including a second Ashcroft house — a townhome.
- Total value of grand prize: $426,000
- Total raised for CHEO: $1.5 million
1999
Walter Ryan, a retirement home resident, won The Thames, a furnished five-bedroom home in Bridlewood with a gourmet kitchen and separate living, dining and family rooms, when his ticket was drawn for the 1999 grand prize. His granddaughter bought the home from him for market price. The Tamarack home was one of three being offered as part of the $1.4 million total prize list in 1999, the others being a two-bedroom bungalow in Riverside South and a four-bedroom family home in Barrhaven. Other prizes that year included cars, jewelry and cruises.
- Total value of grand prize: $310,000
- Total raised for CHEO: $2.4 million
2000
A 2,535-square-foot Tamarack home on a corner lot in Barrhaven was the grand prize in 2000. Urban chic decor with dominant earth tones defined the home’s interior, which included shaker cabinetry and a raised breakfast bar in the kitchen and a separate dining room and study on the main floor. Upstairs, the master bedroom had a wood and iron sleigh bed with matching armoire, dresser and nightstands. The move-in-ready home, valued at $319,000, also featured $70,000 worth of furnishings, appliances and window treatments. Other prizes that year included another single-family home, also by Tamarack, and a Phoenix Homes townhome.
- Total value of grand prize: $407,000
- Total raised for CHEO: unavailable
2001
This was the year Minto began its current 25-year run of building the CHEO dream home. With 2,000 prizes worth a total of $1.5 million, the lottery that year featured a 3,000-square-foot Naismith model as its top prize. The home in Chapman Mills included a family room with a two-sided fireplace, a breakfast nook in the large open kitchen and three bathrooms. It came with six appliances, furniture, decor by KISS Interiors, floral arrangements and more. Minto also provided a second home that year located in east-end Avalon. The winners of the Naismith sold it for $316,000.
- Total value of grand prize: $380,000
- Total raised for CHEO: $2.1 million
2002
The dream home took a big step forward in 2002, when the winning package hit $1 million, apparently the biggest single prize in Ontario lottery history at the time. Minto’s 4,677-square-foot Warwick model on an estate-sized lot in Winding Way near the Rideau River in Barrhaven was part of the grand prize. Features included a wide, winding staircase in the marble-floored foyer, a living and dining room with a cathedral ceiling and deep purple walls, and a massive kitchen with tangerine-stained cherry cabinetry. The rear deck included a covered hot tub framed by Roman pillars. A staggering 53,000 visitors passed through the home, a quantum leap from 5,100 the year before.
- Total value of grand prize: $1 million
- Total raised for CHEO: $2.3 million
2003
The 2003 dream home was an expanded version of Minto’s elegant Stirling model with a home theatre featuring a glittering night sky ceiling, a sunroom and a backyard hot tub added to the original design. Upgrading floor plans of existing models was to become a frequent feature of Minto’s dream homes in the coming years. The four-bedroom, 4,589-square-foot dream home in Minto’s upscale Barrhaven community of Winding Way showcased “gleaming marble floors, colossal chandeliers and room after glorious room of vibrant artwork, warm woods and overstuffed sofas,” enthused the Citizen in its lead-up to the draw. A car, groceries and a trip to Mexico were also part of the winning package. The winners, a couple with two young children, were living in a 1,400-square-foot bungalow when their ticket was drawn. Other prizes in the 2003 lottery, with its total value of $2.1 million, included vehicles, trips and cash.
- Total value of winning package: $1.2 million
- Total raised for CHEO: $2.1 million
2004
Winding Way continued its popularity streak in 2004, when Minto provided a 4,900-square-foot Kensington model as part of the winning package. Designed for both entertaining and family life, the home, with its view of the distant Rideau River, included dual staircases, an elegant home office, a main-floor wine “cellar” and home theatre, and a slate floor in the kitchen. The top floor included a library and a walk-in closet and bathroom for each bedroom. Vehicles and a shopping spree numbered among other prizes in 2004.
- Total value of grand prize: $1.3 million
- Total raised for CHEO: $2.5 million
2005
Minto’s home that year was the roomy and elegant Camelot, an impressive 4,435-square-foot brick-and-stone home, again in Winding Way, that saw 50,000 visitors pass through its front door. The sea-and-sand-themed home featured a gourmet kitchen with wraparound antique cream cabinets and twin iron chandeliers, a two-storey family room with a corner stone fireplace, a basement home theatre and a backyard hot tub. Unexpected features like the turquoise ceiling in the living room underscored how the dream home had evolved since its early days when, according to long-running designer Donna Correy, “the philosophy was it had to be safe and beige so it wouldn’t offend potential ticket buyers.” Other prizes in 2005 included outdoor adventure packages, cruises and four cars.
- Total value of grand prize: $1.24 million
- Total raised for CHEO: $2.2 million
2006
Minto and other corporate contributors raised the bar again in 2006 with the 5,000-square-foot Kensington in Winding Way as the main event in the winning package. The home came with furniture, a commercial stove in the kitchen, five TVs (including a massive one in the $50,000 entertainment room), five computers, and a snooker table and pinball machine in the basement games room. The winning ticket also came with a car, home cleaning services and groceries for a year, and more.
“I was shaking, crying, and I couldn’t believe it,” Nicole Talbot told the Citizen after she and her husband, Michel, struck paydirt. Cars, vacations and a home theatre were among other prizes that year.
- Total value of grand prize: $1.4 million
- Total raised for CHEO: $2.4 million
2007
Minto’s dream home in 2007 was a 5,077-square-foot stone house uniquely designed for a corner lot in, you guessed it, Winding Way. The home, valued at $1.2 million, featured a centre-split staircase with one half leading to the children’s quarters and the other to the opulent master bedroom. There was a bathroom for each of the four bedrooms, a sunroom, a home theatre with a custom-made sofa from La-Z-Boy that had room for 12 adults, and a salt-water aquarium, home to exotic fish and purple reef from Indonesia. Minto also incorporated green features, including construction to Energy Star standards. There were 66 suppliers to the home, more than double the number the year before. Cash, cars and more constituted other prizes in 2007.
- Total value of grand prize: $1.4 million
- Total raised for CHEO: $2.5 million
2008
The attention of many who visited the Dream of a Lifetime lottery grand prize home in 2008 was captured by two plush chairs that tilted and rumbled as lights pulsated in response to the action up on the home theatre screen. Coupled with a sauna, exercise room and a $6,000 chair that gave shiatsu massages, the basement alone signalled that this was no ordinary home. Skewing contemporary, the home — the seventh in a row in Winding Way — had a red, black and white theme, including red kitchen countertops, thanks to the designer, Donna Correy of KISS Design, formerly partner in KISS Interiors. The 4,833-square-foot, brick-and-stone home, which also featured an outdoor kitchen, headlined almost 3,500 prizes that year.
- Total value of grand prize: $1.5 million
- Total raised for CHEO: $2 million
2009
An updated, funky version of Minto’s four-bedroom Warwick, the dream home back in 2002, was the centrepiece of the 2009 lottery for CHEO. Located in Winding Way, the 4,786-square-foot home was all about hip modernity, pops of colour and opulence. A two-storey foyer and a similar sky-high great room; two staircases; a main-floor in-law suite; stained-glass doors leading to a home office; a glassed-in wine cellar, partial kitchen, gym and more in the lower level; an outdoor kitchen along with six televisions and more: it all made for a hefty winning ticket. Almost 4,500 prizes were up for grabs in 2009, which saw the fastest sellout of tickets in the lottery’s history to that point.
- Total value of grand prize: $1.6 million
- Total raised for CHEO: $2.8 million
2010
Minto switched things up in 2010 by building the 4,200-square-foot Balmoral on a ¾-acre lot on the edge of Manotick. Among other features was a Smartbox that enabled homeowners to adjust the temperature, turn on the lights and open the garage door from — wait for it — a cellphone!
“It’s amazing,” said Kevin Keohane, CHEO’s vice-president of development and corporate relations, in an interview. Of course this was 2010, and “amazing” was a fair comment to the technology of the time. Highlights of the home, which marked the 20th year of the lottery and featured a mixed urban/country design, included a stone wall in the two-storey foyer, an 18-foot living room ceiling, a kitchen with black lower cabinetry by Potvin Kitchen & Bath, as Potvin Construction was known at the time, and a stocked wine cellar.
- Total value of grand prize: $1.6 million
- Total raised for CHEO: $2.4 million
2011
Manotick remained lottery ground zero in 2011, with a 4,294-square-foot Versailles model that sported four bedrooms and five baths. The home included exquisite landscaping overlooked by a grand elm tree and, at 102 by 310 feet, the biggest piece of grand prize property to date. It also boasted 18-foot ceilings, a main-floor wine room where LED lights changed colour to set the mood for the adjacent dining room, a media room that included three wall-mounted screens for movies, gaming and the internet, and a television in the master bedroom which, with the flick of a switch, vanished into a dresser. One of the children’s bedrooms was Harry Potter-themed with a working Hogwarts Express train above the bed. Alas, the winner’s mother sued him for two-thirds the value of the home, claiming they had had an agreement to split the winnings. The pair eventually settled.
- Total value of grand prize: $1.68 million
- Total raised for CHEO: $2.5 million
2012
Reclaimed barnboard and wide plank floors, combined with funky lighting and pops of dramatic black and white, helped define the country/city vibe of the 2012 dream home. Backing on to a ravine in Manotick, the 4,563-square-foot home included some surprises, such as a putting green and waterfall in the backyard and a TV in the shower. The kitchen by Potvin Kitchen & Bath included three ovens, the main-floor office doubled as a guest suite thanks to its Murphy bed, and the 640-square-foot master bedroom accounted for almost half the second floor. Other prize winners in 2012 swept up cars, a Mediterranean cruise, $10,000 in jewelry and a package of 100-level Senators tickets valued at more than $4,000.
- Total value of grand prize: $1.65 million
- Total raised for CHEO: $2 million
2013
French provincial set the tone for the 2013 dream home in Manotick, a two-storey house with a wraparound porch, leaded windows, a coffered ceiling and wide-plank floors in the living room, a dramatic chandelier of silver rings in the dining room, and two master bedrooms.
“The effect is a relaxed yet luxurious home that balances the scale to make it easier for the average person to picture themselves living in it,” commented the Citizen in its preview of the home. The winner said he planned to use the $5,000 Farm Boy gift card that was part of the grand prize to help the Ottawa Food Bank. The 2013 event also featured the Dream of a Lifetime lottery’s first-ever 50-50 draw with a prize of $467,977.
- Total value of grand prize: $1.8 million
- Total raised for CHEO: $2.8+ million
2014
Fusion was the keyword for the 2014 Dream of a Lifetime home. Built in Minto’s upscale Mahogany community in Manotick, the sprawling four-bedroom home (5,181 square feet including the basement) mixed rustic elements influenced by the natural setting around Manotick with modern clean lines and finishes. An elegant oak and iron semi-circular staircase anchored the main floor, dividing the formal front-of-home space from the more casual tone at the rear, including an informal family room with an 18-foot ceiling, timber beams and two-storey windows, a two-way fireplace between the master bedroom and ensuite, and a home theatre with a sliding barn door. Greys and creams in the home were punched up with fuchsia, green and yellow as well as pops of black and white. The draw was a sellout in 2014, with more than 66,000 tickets snapped up and a new record for money raised.
- Total value of grand prize: $1.76 million
- Total raised for CHEO: $3+ million
2015
A decidedly contemporary approach defined the 2015 dream home in the Manotick community of Mahogany. “We wanted something different, because people have been coming to CHEO homes for a long time,” equally long-time dream home designer Donna Correy told the Citizen. From the streamlined exterior esthetic of Minto’s Cedar model to the sleek staircase with its steel beam support that replaced the traditional circular design and the soaring double-sided fireplace with its cement block look in the great room, the home spoke “modernity” at numerous turns.
That contemporary approach was balanced with cosy, warm furnishings, especially those from La-Z-Boy, that gave the home a family-and-party feel. Upping the fun quotient was a basement surprise: a 25-by-15-foot artificial rink with NHL boards, a working scoreboard and a mini locker room.
- Total value of grand prize: $1.7 million
- Total raised for CHEO: $7,214,935
2016
Water featured prominently in the 2016 dream home, from the 12-foot shower with a two-foot-square rain shower head and freestanding soaker tub in the master bedroom’s ensuite to the kitchen island’s quartz waterfall counter that, instead of covering just the tops and sides as is common, also spilled down the front, where drawers faced with quartz continued the watery theme. In keeping with the liquid design, there was also a wet bar in the basement, where a music stage, climbing wall and other features made the space a natural play area. The home in Manotick, with its modern-themed exterior, also showcased light, with backlit ceilings in the living and dining room, the kitchen, the piano room and the master bedroom. Other lottery prizes that year included two Harley Davidson motorcycles, cars, Senators tickets and more.
- Total value of grand prize: $1.65 million
- Total raised for CHEO: $7,151,905
2017
Dubbed the Red Maple, CHEO’s 2017 dream home celebrated Canada’s 150th birthday with a rustic-meets-industrial theme that toasted the country’s heritage. Douglas fir beams, wood floors milled from old logs pulled from the Ottawa River and pops of colour inspired by a Hudson’s Bay blanket blended with factory-style lighting, a walk-in kitchen pantry outfitted with industrial pipe and wood shelves and a contemporary whole-home wired-for-sound system embodied that heritage approach to the Manotick home. With an eye to the younger generation, the home also featured a loft bedroom with a playhouse-like hideout under the stairs.
- Total value of grand prize: $1.8 million
- Total raised for CHEO: $7,231,095
2018
The Minto dream home for CHEO hit new heights that year with a value of $2.1 million. Built in Minto’s new Potter’s Key community in Stittsville, the lavish home, at 5,577 square feet including the basement, was a revamping of an existing Minto bungalow design by Ottawa architect Christopher Simmonds. He incorporated some of his trademark features, including extensive glazing to connect the inside and outside, in this case a home that backs on to the Feedmill Creek conservation area.
The house was also a nod to 1970s Hollywood with a touch of Art Deco thanks to the clean finishes, pops of orange and chartreuse, and overall glamour that designer Tanya Collins brought to the project. The home boasted not only a basement roller skating rink complete with ’70s-era disco ball but also a 500-square-foot studio apartment adjacent to the kitchen designed with an elderly parent or disabled child in mind. Other winners that year walked off with a Toyota RAV4 hybrid, a speedboat and the choice of a pickup truck or a jaunt to Dublin, Ireland, to see a U2 concert.
- Total value of grand prize: $2.3 million
- Total raised for CHEO: $7,827,355
2019
It was back to a modern beach vibe in 2019. Wainscotting, shiplap, wallpaper, rattan furniture, authentic grass cloth walls and other design choices by Tanya Collins lent the home in Potter’s Key a more traditional, textured and sunshiny coastal feel. While more than 5,500 square feet including the basement and valued at nearly $2.4 million, “It’s cosy. It’s homey,” said Brent Strachan, president of Minto’s Ottawa division at the time. “Last year was very sophisticated and urban; this year is more down to earth.”
It was also eco-friendly: with solar panels and other green features, it was Minto’s fifth net zero home in four years. Experiential prizes were big that year, including other winners hopping on planes for an Elton John concert in Liverpool, an 11-day tour of New Zealand or seats at The Ellen DeGeneris Show in California.
- Total value of grand prize: $2.55 million
- Total raised for CHEO: $5 million
2020
COVID-19 wreaked havoc on the 2020 Minto dream home, delaying the completion of the home (supply chain issues were a key culprit) and preventing traditionally popular tours of the home. Even so, construction of the 4,700-square-foot home was eventually completed and virtual technology, which was already being used for the CHEO fundraiser, enabled tours of the farmhouse/Boho chic-themed home in Manotick. From the finished basement to the top-storey loft, the home spread over four floors. Cathedral ceilings with faux wood beams, an earthy colour palette and a mix of shiplap, wallpaper, macramé rugs, star-shaped accessories and more helped define the home, which was again designed by Tanya Collins. Included were a three-season sunroom, a warmly textured kitchen and a home gym, which was added at the last moment after the pandemic shut down gyms around the city. Despite the pandemic, both ticket sales (115,000) and fundraising ($8 million) were new records.
- Total value of grand prize: $2.8 million
- Total raised for CHEO: $8 million
2021
An Arts and Crafts exterior esthetic that paid tribute to Manotick’s traditional architecture mixed with mid-century modern and other influences inside underpinned the 2021 bungalow-loft dream home in Minto’s Mohagany development. Visitors to the home toured it virtually as the pandemic again not only delayed construction but forced the CHEO fundraiser to switch gears until private tours were offered starting in mid-November. Built on a huge corner lot backing onto a pond, the three-bedroom, 4,603-square-foot home showcased light-filled, 20-foot ceilings in the great room and foyer (a loft allows such features in a bungalow), a main-floor master suite, a hobby room accessible from the three-car garage, a gaming room, greenhouse and more. The home, designed by Karen van der Velden, Minto’s product development manager, and Tanya Collins, was also net zero, producing as much energy as it consumed, and was fully electric.
- Total value of grand prize: $3.1 million
- Total raised for CHEO: $8 million
2022
The fundraiser for CHEO returned to in-person visiting in 2022 although virtual touring remained a permanent part of the event. Tanya Collins Interior Design was again on board, this time bringing Parisian apartment-inspired concepts — big, bright spaces, tall windows, herringbone floors and iron railings among them — to the interior of the 4,658-square-foot Minto home in Arcadia in Kanata.
“This all came from watching the Emily in Paris series with my teenage daughter,” Collins said at the lottery launch. “I fell in love with Paris all over again.” Fully outfitted by La-Z-Boy, Audioshop and many others, the home, with its modern prairie-style exterior, included energy-efficient features like a greywater system to reduce water consumption by repurposing shower water for the toilets. Other lottery prizes in 2022 included the 50/50 draw, $250,00 cash, trips, gift certificates and more — over 6,000 prizes in total and almost 120,000 tickets sold.
- Total value of grand prize: $3.2 million
- Total raised for CHEO: $14 million
2023
“Moody, majestic and masculine” is how All Things Home described the 2023 dream home in Manotick. Inspired by Ralph Lauren, it was designed by Tanya Collins, who decided in 2023 to pass the torch after six years with the CHEO fundraising project. Layered and featuring dark wood accents, coffered ceilings, rich colours and elaborate trim, the home was dubbed the Equestrian based on its British horsey design theme. The home, including the screened porch, upper deck and outdoor kitchen, was 4,600 square feet and featured a kitchen provided by Laurysen Kitchens, a geothermal heating and cooling system, and more.
Money had been tight for the Lalonde family, who won the home and were living on one income, paying for a recently purchased home and needing a new car. “We had just been talking (about) how are we going to get through the rest of this year? And then the next morning we got this call saying that we won the Dream of a Lifetime lottery,” said Tanya Lalonde, a mother of three. “It was just perfect timing.”
- Total value of grand prize: $3.2 million
- Total raised for CHEO: $11,996,470
2024
A yoga studio, a private spa and a backyard pond were part of the health-and-wellness theme of the oasis-like 2024 Minto dream home in the Mahogany community of Manotick. Tanner Vine, who took over the design reins from Tanya Collins in 2024, drew on the modern Belgian farmhouse style — a blend of historic farmhouse design with modern interiors — for the 5,000-square-foot home. The result: clean lines, pared-back furniture coupled with some vintage pieces, earth tones and natural materials.
Called the Oasis, the home abuts a forested area that will not be developed. There’s a third-floor loft (that’s where the yoga studio is), 10-foot ceilings in the basement and a 37-foot window wall stretching from the loft to the basement. The kitchen from Laurysen Kitchens anchors the main floor with a massive island, warm hickory cabinetry and a hidden pantry. There were 8,200 prizes that year, including cars, a boat and more, with a combined value of more than $5 million.
- Total value of grand prize: $3.3 million
- Total raised for CHEO: $11,616,690
2025
One of the largest dream homes ever built, the 5,360-square-foot Sterling in Manotick marked the 35th anniversary of CHEO’s Dream of a Lifetime lottery. It was also part of a record-setting grand prize package worth more than $3.7 million, including $100,000 cash, a Mercedez-Benz SUV and more.
With an interior by Tanner Vine that he described as “a contemporary reinterpretation of the Art Deco style,” the home showcased minimalism, including earthy tones and natural materials with the pop of polished metals and tile that created geometry. Accessible living was a key feature of the four-bedroom, two-storey home, including a main-floor primary suite and laundry room and a lift in the garage. The exterior showcased a modern farmhouse style thanks to Minto’s product development manager, Karen van der Velden.
- Total value of winning package: $3.7+ million
- Total raised for CHEO: not yet available
