When Jim Ouellette received a text message saying he had won a new Harley-Davidson motorcycle from an online contest, he initially thought it was a scam.
Despite also receiving a confirming email, it took Ouellette 36 hours and several phone calls to believe it wasn't a hoax.
"I was scrolling through Facebook one morning when I saw a contest from Blackbridge Harley-Davidson and decided to enter," Ouellette explained.
"I've always loved bikes and admired Harley-Davidsons. They're beautiful machines."
The contest, a promotional partnership between Harley-Davidson Canada and the Canadian Hockey League, attracted over 14,000 entries. Ouellette was randomly chosen to win the 2024 Sharkskin Blue Road Glide.
"I was sitting in my doctor's office when I got a text from a guy in the United States saying he had sent me an email," Ouellette recalled. "I just turned off my phone, thinking it was too good to be true."
After reading the email and finding nothing suspicious, Ouellette filled out the attached form and sent it back. He then received a call from the president of Harley-Davidson Canada, which made him start to believe the news. However, it wasn't until he contacted Blackbridge and they confirmed it that he was finally convinced.
"I was beside myself," Ouellette said. "My son rides Harleys in West Virginia, and he went ballistic when he heard."
Erin Mitchell, owner and general manager of Blackbridge Harley-Davidson, was thrilled a local resident won the contest.
"We were so excited to hear that one of our customers was the big winner," Mitchell said. "Since taking over Blackbridge in 2019, our goal has been to build a culture and community of ridership. Having one of our customers win is mind-blowing and deeply rooted in who we are as an organization."
After receiving the motorcycle at a ceremony this morning, Ouellette plans to break in the bike before taking a road trip to visit his son.