Turning 18 is the moment when most teenagers begin to wonder how they will pay their way in the world, but for one lucky Canadian woman, paying the bills will never be a problem. Charlie Lagarde never dreamed she’d strike lucky when she hit the legal age to buy a lottery ticket in Canada by spending C$4 on a winning scratch card. The Quebec teenager wound up winning a lifetime of weekly payments of $1000. Ms Lagarde was given the choice of receiving either C$1m (£550,000) in one go or in weekly installments of $1000 - meaning should could be paid up to $4m if she reaches the average Canada life expectancy for a woman of 83. After consulting with a financial adviser, Ms Lagarde opted for weekly payments so as to avoid tax. Patrice Lavoie, a spokesman for the lottery corporation, told the Canadian Press: "It's without taxes so it's equivalent to a salary of more than $100,000 a year, so it's a great start in life for that young lady." "That was her first lottery ticket ever and she fell upon a winning ticket." Ms Lagarde claimed her prize on Monday at the lottery corporation's head office in Montreal, surrounded by friends and family. She said she wants to use the money to travel and her studies. "I want to study photography. One of my dreams would be to work for National Geographic," she told the lottery officials.



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