Tom Hamstra and Robert McIsaac pictured holding the big cheque at the CP and District Memorial Hospital. Brian Turner Photo
A popular lottery in Carleton Place has changed the lives of two residents.
The Carleton Place Catch the Ace lottery is a partnership between the Carleton Place and District Memorial Hospital Foundation and the Captain A. Roy Brown Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 192. The fundraiser began in 2019 and has generated substantial funding for hospital equipment and Legion-supported programs.
The concept is simple, but the suspense builds with every draw. Players purchase tickets and select a numbered envelope containing a playing card. One ticket is drawn each week to determine the winner of the weekly prize. If the envelope contains the Ace of Spades, the winner also takes home the growing progressive jackpot.
If the ace isn’t found, that card is removed from future draws and the jackpot continues to build, creating even more anticipation for the next week.
The lottery has already produced some impressive results. In 2022, a winner took home a progressive jackpot of more than $187,000, along with the weekly prize.
The lottery’s fifth edition ended in May 2025, after 27 weeks, with a jackpot reported at approximately $88,000.
The latest edition reached an even more remarkable finish. Catch the Ace 6.0 concluded on October 22, 2026, after 51 weeks, with the final jackpot of just over $1.6 million. That amazing prize was shared by Robert McIsaac and Tom Hamstra.
McIsaac tells us how the reality set in after receiving a telephone call as he ended his workday.
For the hospital foundation, the proceeds help pay for essential patient-care equipment.
McIsaac and Hamstra have been playing partners for some time.
Hamstra tells us of getting notified by McIsaac about their exceptional win.
Neither have immediate plans for the money, but McIsaac noted it will take a lot of worry planning for the future of his family and their immediate needs. Interestingly enough, McIsaac has volunteered at the Carleton Place hospital and his father Jim was once the head of the local ambulance service.
The lottery is open to eligible participants aged 18 and older who are in Ontario when purchasing tickets. Details about future draws and the next edition can be found on the official Carleton Place Catch the Ace website at cpcatchtheace.ca.
Hear our complete conversation with the winners below.
Story by Brian Turner
