Industry sales soar in October

OTTAWA — Sales of building and garden supplies shot up 16.4% in October compared to a year ago, StatCan reports, and 1.1% from the previous month. Overall, retail sales rose 1.5% to $49.9 billion in October. Higher sales at new car dealers were the main contributor to the gain. Excluding sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers, retail sales increased 0.8%. All provinces recorded higher sales for the month, with Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia accounting for the majority of the increase.