Most people can't wait to claim their lottery winnings, but when Peter Dushop realized he hit the jackpot last August he didn't rush out to claim his $3.6-million prize.

Instead, the 24-year-old realtor from Maple Ridge, B.C., put the winning Lotto 6/49 ticket in a safety deposit box and only told his mom about the win.

"I felt that was the best way to go, I needed some time to reflect on it," said Dushop on Monday, when he collected his cheque.

The cool, calm and collected Dushop managed to keep the win a secret from his girlfriend for nearly an entire year. And even then, she only found out by watching the media coverage on TV.

"It was pretty funny. I waited until the news came on ... and was 'Ooohh, what was that?' She just watched it in disbelief," said Dushop.

The new millionaire said it was pretty hard keeping the win under wraps from the love of his life, but claims he did give her some clues.

"I told her that something exciting was going to happen within the year. That was basically my way of telling her," he said.

All the patient waiting did come at a cost to Dushop — he lost a chance to collect about $100,000 in interest. But he said it was worth taking the time to really think about how it would change his life.

"Winning a 1,000 bucks is pretty exciting, but $3.5 million is pretty life changing ..." he said.

Dushop is planning a vacation somewhere hot, but when he returns he plans to continue working.