Lotto dispute heads to B.C. Supreme Court

"We were informed by the various legal counsels representing the winners that they were unable to resolve their dispute," Jim Lightbody, the Crown corporation's operations vice-president, said Tuesday.

Nine workers at an A&W restaurant in Mission, B.C. initially claimed to be the winners.

However, co-workers Tanis McQuillan and Meagan Weisgerber came forward to say they had been part of the group's lottery pool because they had previously paid in -- although not during the time the winning ticket was sold, according to the nine.

Two more co-workers over the weekend came forward with claims on the earnings after that.

The corporation wanted an answer by Monday, but extended that until Tuesday at the request of the group of nine.

But the various sides weren't able to resolve the issue amongst themselves.

Lightbody said the money will earn interest while the case is heard through the courts.

"What a court is going to look at as a legal question is: What was the intention of these A&W employees when they entered that lottery poll?" Legal analyst Steven Skurka said, appearing on CTV's Canada AM.

"For example, what happened in the past when one of the employees missed a payment and there was a losing ticket? Did that employee still make the contribution?

"That's really going to be the crucial question here."

The feud was featured in a lead editorial in The Vancouver Province newspaper, which urged the nine workers to let the other two contested members have a share so that lawyers don't take their cut in a court battle.

Lightbody said the dispute has reminded the many Canadians involved in workplace pools to write down who is in their pool.

If the matter does end up court, he said it would be the first such legal battle in the corporation's history.

Meanwhile, back at the restaurant, the combatants continue to work side by side.

"I have no comment about the lottery okay?" A&W manager Francis Carcasson told CTV News. "We're just here doing what we do, looking after our customers, serving teen burgers and floats."

With a report by CTV's Todd Battis in Vancouver