Alberta’s wholesale trade activity rebounded in March after a short-lived decline in the month prior.

Seasonally adjusted revenues grew $91 million (+1.1%) to reach $8.4 billion in March, just shy of the peak reached in January.

The gain was a result of sharp increases in building materials and supplies, and motor vehicles and parts, which in turn offset pullbacks in machinery and equipment, personal and household goods, and farm product revenues in the month.

On an unadjusted basis, Alberta’s wholesale trade sales were $24 billion in the first quarter of the year. This was up by $4.6 billion (+23.6%) from where things stood back in March 2021, with nearly one-third of the growth coming from the sales of machinery, equipment and supplies.

Alberta’s first quarter performance was the second best in the country after Saskatchewan (+38.1%), on a year-to-date percentage gain basis.

Meanwhile, national wholesale revenue posted a solid $29.3 billion (+15.0%) increase in Q1 versus its 2021 level with Ontario alone responsible for 46% of the gain.

Answer to the previous trivia question: The Edmonton Oilers joined the NHL in 1979.

Today’s trivia question: When did the Atlanta Flames move to Calgary?