Statistics Canada says wholesale sales increased slightly in March by 0.3 per cent to $79.8 billion with the largest increases coming in the building material and supplies as well as the motor vehicle and motor vehicles accessories and parts.

Ontario leads in terms of provincial gains. Six provinces reported higher wholesale sales in March, accounting for 64 per cent of national sales, led by Ontario.

However, Saskatchewan has the dubious distinction of being title to the next largest change, but it was all downward movement. Saskatchewan, after six consecutive months of growth, saw sales decrease by 9.0 per cent to $3.3 billion. While five of seven subsectors had lower sales, over three-quarters of the decline was due to a 12.1 per cent fall in the miscellaneous subsector, which accounted for 58 per cent of the province’s sales.