EDMONTON - Thirteen payroll clerks who work on the 13th floor of an office building were doing the happy dance Thursday to celebrate their apparent win of a $50-million Lotto 6-49 jackpot.
The employees at ATB Financial in Edmonton walked into the office at 9 a.m. and could not contain their glee over their good fortune, said co-worker Penny Stone.
''They were all here. They gathered together and started screaming and screeching,'' Stone said.
If the 13 are confirmed the winners by the Western Canada Lottery Corp., they will each get just over $3.8 million.
''They talked to management of course and then they went to get their money,'' Stone said.
ATB Financial spokesman Shawn Ohler would not comment and referred questions to the lottery corporation.
Lottery spokeswoman Andrea Marantz declined to confirm the winners, but confirmed there are plans to hold a news conference Friday.
Stone said word of the big win rippled throughout the Crown-owned bank's building Thursday.
''I went out for a smoke and one of the girls said 'Did you hear? Did you hear about the 13 people on the 13th floor?'
''The whole office is abuzz. Everyone is just thrilled to death. It couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of - I think they were all women - we are just incredibly, incredibly happy for them.''
It's not the first big lotto win by a group of Albertans.
In 2005, a record payout of $54.3 million was shared by 17 workers at a gas plant southeast of Edmonton, who stepped forward after 24 hours of non-stop partying.
The total payout on Wednesday night's winning ticket is $49,851,871.
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