By Reuters Staff 2 Min Read TORONTO, March 1 (Reuters) - Canadian manufacturing activity grew at a faster pace in February than in January as better news on vaccines underpinned confidence and new orders and employment climbed, data showed on Monday. The IHS Markit Canada Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ index (PMI) rose to a seasonally adjusted 54.8 in February from 54.4 in January. It was the eighth straight month the index was above the 50 threshold that marks expansion in the sector. The data “highlights another solid improvement in the overall health and resilience of Canada’s manufacturing sector,” Shreeya Patel, an economist at IHS Markit, said in a statement.