The Toronto Stock Exchange is down over 220 points at midday with the materials and energy sectors the hardest hit, with both sectors down more the 3%.
Gold fell to a multi-month low today, slipping below US$4,000 per ounce, on traders' expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve will raise interest rates this year as well as a strong U.S. dollar.
Crude oil is down 4% to hover around US$70 per barrel as more ships pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
Info tech, up 3.4% is the top performer, followed by the healthcare sector, which is 1.8% higher.