Eddie Sheppard

Executive Vice President, @Abacusdataca | Proud girl dad

[Eddie Sheppard @EddieShepp]

Spending the day in Ottawa sharing our @abacusdataca insights at the Real Estate Connect Conference.

[David Coletto @DavidColetto]

We have a bit of an obsession at Abacus Data: the number is never the end of the story.

Probe feels the same way. Now we get to ask better questions, tell better stories, and help more clients figure out what comes next.

Learn more: https://t.co/c2zNtRW4xy

[David Coletto @DavidColetto]

If you haven't read this analysis from @EddieShepp, you should.

The central finding is that Canadians have not lost hope, but they are redefining what progress looks like.

Four in ten Canadians expect their lives to improve over the next five years, and optimism is particularly strong among people under 30, with nearly six in ten expecting their lives to get better. But that optimism is tempered by a declining sense of personal control.

Only just over one-third believe hard work and good decisions are enough to get ahead. Almost as many think success depends equally on luck and circumstance, while nearly one in four feel they have little control over their ability to succeed.

The results suggest a shift from building the future to protecting the present:

- 23% are primarily focused on building and improving their future.
- 30% are focused on protecting what they already have.
- 41% are trying to do both.

That caution is also influencing behaviour. Nearly half say they are more careful about major purchases than they were five years ago, while many are more hesitant to invest, buy a home, change careers, or move.

The broader conclusion is that Canadians are adapting to prolonged uncertainty. They remain hopeful, but they are taking fewer risks and are less confident that effort will reliably produce progress. The public challenge is therefore not simply to create opportunities, but to convince people that those opportunities are realistic, accessible, and worth pursuing.

Financial stability has also become the most common definition of success, ahead of building wealth, career advancement, or steadily improving one’s standard of living. Stability is no longer simply the foundation for achieving larger ambitions. For many Canadians, stability itself has become the ambition.

https://t.co/yF25vNL2gP

[Eddie Sheppard @EddieShepp]

Earlier this year, I introduced the idea of the psychology of precarity. This latest piece looks at what happens when that uncertainty starts changing how Canadians define progress.

🆕 from @abacusdataca

https://t.co/qjKNWB0KbN

[Eddie Sheppard @EddieShepp]

Today, 77% of Canadians say they are proud to be Canadian, up from 68% last year and 65% in 2024. This increase comes at a time of economic uncertainty, political division, and trade tensions.

🆕 @abacusdataca polling from me and @DavidColetto

https://t.co/wAPZZ7e0NA

[CHBA National @CHBANational]

From @financialpost: “A new survey by @nerdwallet shows rising home prices and unpredictable costs were top barriers to homeownership for 23 per cent, with 34 per cent of those being generation Z, the oldest of whom are 29.” https://t.co/Gembsh0c3P

A recent @abacusdataca public opinion survey, commissioned by CHBA, found Canadians still have a strong desire for homeownership with 88% of those under 45 saying they would like to own a home one day. But #homeownership rates have been falling severely since 2011 due to a lack of affordability.

Excessive taxes, restrictive mortgage rules, inefficient municipal processes, costly building code changes, and more, all contribute to first-time buyers being unable to purchase a home.

CHBA remains firmly engaged with the federal government on addressing these barriers.

#cdnpoli @DavidColetto @EddieShepp

[CHBA National @CHBANational]

From @ctvnews: “As higher levels of government act on rising municipal fees meant to cover new infrastructure costs, following growing criticism of the role of those charges in the housing crisis, some researchers and urban planning experts believe the system is overdue for a rework.” https://t.co/Kgt8orSAIE

The Association remains highly engaged on the issue of out-of-control development charges. @abacusdataca public opinion polling, conducted for CHBA, finds that 51% of Canadians agree that DCs place too much of the infrastructure cost on new home buyers.

CHBA has also done work to put forward recommendations on finding alternatives to development charges. These alternatives are outlined here: https://t.co/2t0KNXD3m9

#cdppoli @DavidColetto @EddieShepp

[Eddie Sheppard @EddieShepp]

Climate change may rank low on the list of Canada's top issues, but concern remains high. 4 in 5 Canadians are worried about its future impacts.

🆕 @abacusdataca from me and @DavidColetto

https://t.co/MID2V8noOk

[Eddie Sheppard @EddieShepp]

Canadians increasingly see rising energy costs as part of the affordability problem, and energy efficiency as part of the answer.

@abacusdataca poll for @CAGBC

https://t.co/ApLe8aOor5

[Eddie Sheppard @EddieShepp]

Affordability doesn't end at the mortgage payment.

Canadians increasingly see lower energy costs as part of what makes a home affordable.

New @abacusdataca research with @CAGBC:

Read more:
https://t.co/WFbu04mzoG

[CHBA National @CHBANational]

From @financialpost: “According to two new reports from @REMAX and @Royal_LePage, younger Canadians are increasingly viewing cottages as a strategic bridge into homeownership and wealth building rather than just a place to get away. https://t.co/qGxDY7GwuU

The dream of #homeownership is still so prevalent that young Canadians are trying unique ways to get their foot in the proverbial door.

Public opinion data CHBA has done with @abacusdataca also supports that homeownership is still an aspiration, with 88% of Canadians under 45 would like to own a home if they could but only 29% feeling confident that they will ever be able to buy one. https://t.co/lUJDSplOUu

CHBA continues to push the government to bring forward policies that will support homeownership.

@DavidColetto @EddieShepp

[David Coletto @DavidColetto]

The best people don't just want a job.

They want responsibility. Autonomy. Great colleagues. Challenging work. A chance to build something.

That's who we're looking for at Abacus Data.

We're hiring a Director or Senior Director, Research Services to help us serve clients, develop talent, and continue growing one of Canada's most respected research firms.

https://t.co/p94oM7pklp

[Eddie Sheppard @EddieShepp]

Great few days in Quebec City at the @supply_chain_ca conference discussing our @abacusdataca work exploring how the precarity mindset is shaping Canadians views of supply chains today. Thanks for having me!

[CHBA National @CHBANational]

From @globeandmail: “An international survey revealed that economic stress accounted for half of a steep decline in happiness among Canadian youth between 2008 and 2025. And housing affordability was the biggest factor in that.” https://t.co/UV4ihffIPL

Canadians are signaling support for political solutions to help make the dream of #homeownership more viable. Polling from @abacusdataca, commissioned by CHBA, shows strong backing to provide support for municipalities to reduce development charges and eliminate GST for buyers of new homes, like the recently announced federal-Ontario move to remove the full HST on qualifying new homes for one year.
The Association remains highly engaged on the issue of out-of-control development charges, including putting forth recommendations on alternatives to DCs.

Read more on that: https://t.co/1qWfddi5O1

#cdnpoli @DavidColetto @EddieShepp

[David Coletto @DavidColetto]

Every bit of research I've done over the last year tells me most Canadians, including most Albertans, want less uncertainty and more clarity.

The decision to force a referendum on Albertans is the complete opposite of that.

People want reassurance when their mindset is defined by precarity.

Learn more about the work @EddieShepp and I are doing on this here: https://t.co/qd5jbHRUAL

[SiriusXM Canada Talks @CanadaTalks160]

#Peace Proposal unacceptable, Polling shows #Liberals on the rise, & Uncovering the sound of #Politics on today's @ArleneBynonShow

@AGMacDougall
@richardwarnica
@EddieShepp
@sarobertson_
Dr. Douglas Stenton - @uwaterloo_anth

For #PoliticalPunch: @CamHolmstrom & @Will_W_Stewart

[David Coletto @DavidColetto]

NEW from Abacus Data: One year after the federal election, the opinion environment remains very positive for the Carney Liberals.

• Government approval hits a new high: 57%
• Liberals lead Conservatives by 10
• Carney net impression: +26
• 55% say his government is a genuine break from Trudeau years

Read more: https://t.co/oHuxXhwFzA

[Eddie Sheppard @EddieShepp]

In Ontario, most see GST/HST relief as a step in the right direction.

Across Canada, 69% want the same where they live.

This isn’t just provincial policy. It’s a national expectation.

🆕 from @abacusdataca

https://t.co/TmqCTiiZ5t

[Eddie Sheppard @EddieShepp]

We'll have a new @abacusdataca piece coming out tomorrow looking the potential impact of the GST/HST rebate and shifts to DCs in Ontario, as well as whether the rest of the country wants to see similar policies in their province. Stay tuned!

[Abacus Data @abacusdataca]

Congratulations to our CEO @DavidColetto on being named to @TheHillTimes Top 100 most influential in Canadian politics.

A well-deserved recognition and a testament to the strength of the team behind the work.

https://t.co/eobR406dHA