(Adds details throughout and updates prices to close)TORONTO, March 29 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock indexnotched its biggest gain in more than six weeks on Thursday, ledby resource and financial shares, but still suffered its deepestquarterly decline in two-and-a-half years.
* The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index ended up 197.35 points, or 1.3 percent, at 15,367.29,its biggest advance since Feb. 12.* For the quarter, the TSX fell 5.2 percent, its deepestslide since the third quarter of 2015.* A report showed that Canada's economic growth unexpectedlyslowed in January in a clear sign that first-quarter growth islikely to be weaker than the Bank of Canada had predicted. * The energy group rallied 2.4 percent, led by a 3.2 percentgain for Enbridge Inc .* U.S. crude oil futures settled 1.1 percent higherat $70.27 a barrel, boosted by higher stock prices on WallStreet and as market participants weighed a rise in U.S. crudeinventories and production against continued supply curbs bymajor producers. * The materials group, which includes precious and basemetals miners and fertilizer companies, also added 2.4 percent.* Financials, which account for more than one-third of theweight of the TSX, gained 0.9 percent, while industrials rose1.2 percent as railroad shares climbed.* The TSX posted 4 new 52-week highs and 6 new lows. Nine ofthe index's 10 main groups ended higher.* The largest percentage gainer on the TSX was First QuantumMinerals Ltd , which rose 8.5 percent, while the largestdecliner was Prometic Life Sciences Inc, down29.0 percent.* The TSX will be closed on Friday for Good Friday. (Reporting by Fergal Smith)
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