The Financial Post reports in its Thursday, May 1, edition that Canada's economy contracted by 0.2 per cent in February after a 0.4-per-cent increase in January, with a flash estimate for March indicating continued stagnation, according to Statistics Canada. The Post's Naimul Karim writes that the decline was largely due to the goods-producing sectors, particularly a 2.5-per-cent drop in mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction. The advanced estimate for March suggests a 0.1-per-cent GDP growth, leading to an overall 0.4-per-cent growth in the first quarter of 2025, with official numbers set for release on May 30. CIBC Capital Markets economist Andrew Grantham says: "Canadian GDP fell unexpectedly in February. The decline appears to have been driven more by harsh weather rather than tariff uncertainty." He says the expected increase of 0.1 per cent may be "largely driven by a rebound in mining, oil and gas," adding that sector data suggest that the "underlying momentum is fading." Mr. Grantham says for the first quarter -- including the advanced data for March -- the annualized growth rate is expected to be 1.5 per cent, which is slightly below the Bank of Canada's projection of 1.8 per cent.