Canada teen wins $1000 a week for life on 18th birthday

Charlie Lagarde won the lottery on her 18th birthday

A Canadian teenager has struck the jackpot after buying her first lottery ticket to mark her 18th birthday.

Charlie Lagarde, from the province of Quebec, bought the scratch ticket along with a bottle of champagne to celebrate turning 18 on 14 March.

She won, and had the choice between taking a C$1m ($780,000; £550,000) lump sum or earning $1,000 a week for life.

After consulting with a financial adviser, the young winner opted for the $1,000 annuity because it is not taxed.

Lottery win teen: Did she choose wisely?

"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," Patrice Lavoie, a spokesman for the lottery corporation, told the Canadian Press.

"That was her first lottery ticket ever and she fell upon a winning ticket."

She says she wants to use the money to travel and put it towards her education.

"I want to study photography. One of my dreams would be to work for National Geographic," she told Loto Quebec.

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