Canada has very low standards for architecture design excellence. It's not in our DNA. Canadian's are frugal and will settle for the cheapest design. One just needs to look at our public realm and public spaces. Why would private spaces be any different?
Architectural excellence and the design of buildings are not a priority for builders or buyers. If buyers were more picky and would not buy the poorly designed units/buildings, developers would be forced to improve their designs. Similarly, the political framework and design review panel pushes for more boxy designs and stifles creativity. The result is what we see today, which is near identical buildings that are all rectangular/boxy with the same green/blue glass curtain walls and balconies.