Real estate developer Westbank faces onslaught of litigation for Canadian, U.S. projects due to unpaid bills

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Open this photo in gallery: The Butterfly, a Westbank development at 1019 Nelson Street, in Vancouver, B.C., on Nov. 16. Like other developers, the company has had to contend with a significant spike in costs for materials and labour.Jennifer Gauthier/The Globe and Mail Westbank Corp., a prominent Canadian developer known for its ambitious architecture, is facing problems at several projects in Toronto and Seattle with contractors claiming millions of dollars in unpaid bills. The number of lawsuits and liens has been piling up over the past year – a particularly difficult period for the industry as borrowing costs and construction...