In short — yes, but not all homes require it. First of all, if you live somewhere where it never rains, waterproofing your basement is not something that you really need. In addition, basements that are sitting directly on top of the ground don’t need to be waterproofed. These are not even “basements” in the traditional sense.
In the Toronto area, basement waterproofing IS necessary. It’s not just advice, it would be a fact from the “keeping your house safe and comfortable 101” book if it ever existed. Toronto has snowy winters, frequent rainfalls, even storms. All this water is not going anywhere from the soil around your house. It’s always there to put your basement under pressure. Even the new houses rarely last for over a decade. Proper basement waterproofing in Toronto saves you from otherwise inevitable leaks.