The way that housing is keeping the Canadian economy afloat is that homes have appreciated a tremendous amount over the last 10 years. In Calgary it&#x27;s over 2x in 10 years or 9% per year.<p>In Edmonton and Calgary I can echo that there is a strong social influence in buying real estate. Owning a home is expected. With homes appreciating over 9%&#x2F;year for 10 years, people assume that that will continue into the distant future.