Court dismisses businessman's attempt to shift pandemic debt to government

Keith Robert MacIntyre remains liable for alleged unpaid debts of $39,000 to Royal Bank of Canada and $318,174.43 to the Business Development Bank of Canada. Justice Richard Fowler dismissed MacIntyre's attempt to hold the Attorney General of Canada and the provincial government responsible for these losses. MacIntyre had added the government entities as third parties to his countersuits, arguing that government restrictions and lockdowns from March 2020 onward caused the economic duress that led to the default. In the first case, MacIntyre alleged RBC engaged in predatory lending and used faulty algorithms for credit limits. In the second case, involving Big Bear Software Inc., he argued the loans from BDC were unconscionable and negligent. He initially sought to strike down his debts and receive $10 million in damages. The claims against the government were dismissed because the Attorney General and the province were not parties to the loans.