A 24-year-old Maple Ridge realtor is $3.6 million richer after winning the 6/49 lottery - last year.

While some may have cashed in the winning ticket right away, Peter Dushop kept his winning ticket safely tucked away in a bank vault for the past 12 months while he has decided what to do with the money.

Dushop won the draw on Aug. 15, 2007 after buying the Quick Pick ticket at a Save-on-Foods in Port Coquitlam. He knew he had won after verifying his prize on a BCLC Check-a-Ticket terminal in Maple Ridge a few weeks after the draw, but waited until Monday to claim his prize, just two weeks before his eligibility would have expired.

"Winning a $1,000 prize is exciting, but winning this much money is life-changing," Dushop says. "It's taken me this long to think about what I'm going to do, and I'm still thinking."

Not surprisingly, the real estate agent plans to invest in property, and hopefully make his newfound millions grow.

But first he has a vacation in mind.

"Anywhere that's hot," he says. "Mexico looks nice, and then maybe Europe afterwards."

No doubt joining him will be his girlfriend Cheryl Burns, who, as of Monday, he had not yet told about the big win.

"Hopefully she'll find out tonight, in front of the TV, when I'm on the news," he says. "I told her that something exciting was going to happen this year, but I don't think she'll be expecting this."