Canada’s inflation rate rose 2.8 per cent in February, down from a 2.9 per cent gain in January.

Notable contributors to the deceleration included cellular services, food purchased from stores, and Internet access services. Offsetting the deceleration was a year-over-year increase in gasoline prices, which rose 0.8 per cent in February, following a 4.0 per cent decline in January.

Inflation in Newfoundland and Labrador rose by less than the national average—0.5 per cent in February from January.