* Canadian dollar at C$1.2963, or 77.14 U.S. cents
* Bond prices slightly higher across the maturity curve
TORONTO, May 10 (Reuters) - The Canadian dollar was
unchanged against its U.S. counterpart on Tuesday as oil prices
rose, while attention turned to when production will be brought
back on line in Canada's oil sands region.
Oil sands companies are expected to work as quickly as
possible to resume wildfire-disrupted production, but face the
challenge of staff and suppliers being displaced.
About half of the region's crude output, or 1 million
barrels per day, has been taken offline, according to a Reuters
estimate.
Supply disruptions in Canada and elsewhere supported oil
prices. U.S. crude CLc1 was up 0.32 percent to $43.58 a
barrel. O/R
At 9:26 a.m. EDT (1326 GMT), the Canadian dollar CAD=D4
was trading at C$1.2963 to the greenback, or 77.14 U.S. cents,
unchanged from Monday's close of C$1.2963, or 77.14 U.S. cents.
The currency's strongest level of the session was C$1.2918,
while its weakest was C$1.2980.
The loonie has fallen 4 percent from a 10-month high hit
last week after weaker-than-expected domestic trade data and
production cuts in Alberta's oil sands region hurt Canada's
economic outlook. It touched a one-month low on Monday of
C$1.3016.
Economists say second-quarter growth may slow to a
standstill, leaving the central bank on hold.
It is too early to assess the economic impact of the Alberta
wildfire, the Bank of Canada said on Monday, adding that it will
have more to say in its interest rate decision later this month.
Overnight index swaps imply a 40 percent chance of a rate
cut this year, a swing from a 20 percent chance of a hike at the
beginning of the month. BOCWATCH
Canadian government bond prices were slightly higher across
the maturity curve, with the two-year CA2YT=RR price up 2
Canadian cents to yield 0.518 percent and the benchmark 10-year
CA10YT=RR rising 10 Canadian cents to yield 1.308 percent.
The Canada-U.S. 2-year spread was 1.5 basis points more
negative at -20.1 basis points, its largest gap since April 5,
as Canadian government bonds outperformed at the front and in
the belly of the curve.