The economy of Canada showed surprising strength in October, growing 0.3 percent after a 0.4 percent gain the previous month, partly due to an unexpected surge in manufacturing, Statistics Canada (Statscan) reported Tuesday. Public-sector output also jumped because a British Columbia teachers' strike ended, and mining and energy extraction increased, Statscan said. The October growth in gross domestic product (GDP) was stronger than the 0.1 percent gain expected by economists. The big surprise in the report was a 0.7 percent increase in manufacturing output, in contrast with Statscan's earlier release of a 0.6 percent decline in manufacturing sales.
