TORONTO (Reuters) - Tumbling resource shares led the Toronto Stock Exchange's main index sharply lower yesterday, as energy and materials issues took a beating amid skidding commodity prices.

A stronger US dollar prompted a sell-off in oil and gold, important underlying commodities for the Toronto benchmark, which is heavily populated with resource companies.

Energy producers led the way down, falling 3.2 percent. Suncor Energy , sagged C$3.09, or 4.3 percent, to C$68.15, while Canadian Natural Resources lost C$2.81, or 2.8 percent, to C$97.94.

The S&P/TSX composite index closed down 236.44 points, or 1.6 percent, at 14,522.13 with all but one of its 10 main sectors lower.

The materials group shed 2.5 percent, hurt by a downturn in gold producers and other miners. Inmet Mining slid C$1.82, or 2.6 percent, to C$69.50, and Barrick Gold was down C$1.52, or 3.6 percent, at C$40.28.

The financial sector also joined in the slide, declining 1.2 percent as major banks began reporting quarterly results.

Bank of Nova Scotia dropped 55 Canadian cents, or 1.1 percent, to C$47.65 after it said second-quarter profit fell amid higher provisions for credit losses and lower capital market revenue.

But Scotiabank also upped its dividend to 49 Canadian cents a share from 47 Canadian cents.

Bank of Montreal also reported lower profit, stung by a weaker capital markets business, while it warned that its provisions for loan losses would rise. Shares of BMO fell C$1.24, or 2.5 percent, to C$47.76

Shares of BCE Inc. were a bright spot to the index, rebounding C$1.09, or 3.2 percent, to C$34.85 after the Supreme Court of Canada said it may hear an appeal of a lower court decision that has sparked fears over the future of its C$34.8 billion ($35.2 billion) buyout.