Fines are typically exempt from bankruptcy in Canada. I don't know if there are reasonable limits to fines that could cut this down to something that can be paid back, but, if not, essentially the court just forced the guy to pay this for the rest of his life. This is incentive to create a new identity, perhaps get work under the table (maybe criminal, besides the tax evasion).

Indeed. There were times when the rest of Europe was much like the Russia that Russian described.