(Updates at market close)

By Fergal Smith

Sept 30 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index wrapped up

its strongest quarter in four years, as it ended higher on

Monday with gains for energy and technology shares offsetting

declines for metal miners.

The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index

ended up 41.31 points, or 0.2%, at 23,998.13, after a

late rally took it into positive territory.

For the month, the index rose 2.8%, while it was up 9.7% in

the third quarter, as the Bank of Canada and the Federal Reserve

cut interest rates.

The S&P 500 also ended higher on Monday after briefly

falling as Fed Chair Jerome Powell said the U.S. central bank is

not in a hurry to lower interest rates.

The TSX's technology sector rose 1%, helped by a gain of

5.6% for the shares of BlackBerry Ltd. ( BB ) Energy was up

0.7% as the price of oil settled nearly unchanged at

$68.17 a barrel.

The materials sector, which includes fertilizer companies

and metal mining shares, ended 1.2% lower as gold and copper

gave back some recent gains. Still, the sector has been the

standout performer this year, jumping 27.3%.