Because Canada being a great place wasnt known in previous years and there was no immigration during the previous corrections right?
I think the difference now is that population density has created more demand than supply of homes. Many more people are living and working in the city than in 1989. There is more than a million more people in the census metropolitan area today than in 1989, yet no more land created for new detached homes over that time.
Condos are something else. I wouldn't expect them to appreciate very much for some time. There is plenty of inventory and even more supply on the way. We could see a softening or correction in the condo market. But even then, I wouldn't expect anything dramatic, unless jobs disappear rapidly.
Toronto has high home ownership which stands at 70%. I expect this will decrease in the coming years to around 50% as it has in most major cities. When it becomes too expensive to buy a home, people who would have bought a home in years past, will have two choices - rent in the city close to work and amenities or move to the burbs and face hours long commutes to work.
In the 90s people left the city in droves for the big house in the burbs. Now people are leaving the burbs in droves to live in the city. Unless that trend reverses again, it will also help to stabilize the housing market and add extra protection against any type of major housing crash.