The Toronto Stock Exchange’s main index tumbled Tuesday after the Bank of Canada unexpectedly left interest rates unchanged and gold and oil prices eased.

The S&P/TSX composite index closed down 224.56 points, or 1.5%, at 14,736.20. It had earlier fallen by as many as 300 points.

Eight of the 10 main TSX groups posted losses.

The energy and materials groups fell 2.3% and 3.6% respectively.

Crude oil for July delivery closed at US$131.31, down US$3.04, or 2.3%, on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

On the TSX, Suncor Energy lost $2.67, or 3.8%, to $67.33.

The gold sub-index lost 5.4% as bullion prices fell. Gold for August delivery dropped $26.90 to end at $871.20 an ounce on the Nymex..

Among TSX gold producers, Barrick Gold was down $2.81, or 6.6%, at $40.11.

The financial sector was off 0.15%, as Bank of Montreal dropped $1.20 to $46.65 while CIBC lost 84¢ to $64.75.

The junior S&P/TSX Venture composite index fell 18.37 points, or 0.69%, to 2,648.94.

Today’s interest rate announcement failed to halt the slide of the Canadian dollar. The loonie dipped to US97.81¢, down from Monday’s close at US97.89¢.

In New York, the main indices finished mixed.

Technology shares fell after U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Monday evening that he would strongly resist rising inflation expectations, which investors took to mean policy makers would lift rates.

The Dow Jones industrial average finished up 9.44 points, or 0.08%, at 12,289.76.

But the Standard & Poor’s 500 was down 3.32 points, or 0.24%, at 1,358.44. The Nasdaq composite index was down 10.52 points, or 0.43%, at 2,448.94.