All I ever see or read are these stories about house prices still going up in Canada. Of course the people saying it are realtors. But if it is true, then tell me why. I don’t see any reason for it. Who’s causing it? Who profits? Will it end?

Read the Wiki article linked below. A bunch of factors are involved:
* Interest rates are still relatively low.
* Canada’s economy has been fairly good overall. Our business and political leaders have tied Canada to the U.S. economy, and the U.S. dollar still gets more respect in the world than it deserves.
* As the realtors say, "Location, location, location." Anywhere there’s population growth and overcrowding, like in my home town, supply and demand push up prices. Though people have talked "brain drain" all our lives, thousands more U.S. people are moving to Canada than the other way ’round.
* The baby boom has hit the market and will continue to do so for another decade: basic demographics.
* In any city certain neighbourhoods are more desirable than others; the same applies to individual homes of course.
* Though many people will disagree, municipal taxes are still too low in many cities. City engineers often haven’t been fixing and improving service infrastructure (sewer, water, etc) as fast as they should.

Who profits? In individual transactions, of course the realtor does. In the bigger picture whole towns could be said to benefit — indeed, whole countries.

But it’s more about North Americans living high on bogus equity. Our collective savings have shrunk to zip, while our debts have ballooned. If China and Europe decided to base international trade on their own currencies instead of the U.S. dollar, our house of cards could tumble in a flash. It’s unlikely, with the developed world’s welfare now so interdependent. But, to answer your last question, maybe that’s how it’ll end.