* Canola was underpinned by steady soybeans, which were helped by firm cash markets. * Statistics Canada is expected to report on Friday slightly smaller year over year canola stocks at Dec. 31. * March canola lost $1.10 to $522.70 a tonne on volume of 6,850 contracts. * May slipped $2.00 at $527.40 on volume of 6,058 contracts. Most deferred months rose. * March-May spread traded 3,657 times, narrowing to a May premium of $4.70. Index funds finished rolling positions forward - trader. * Chicago March soybeans gained 1-3/4 US cents to US$12.17 per bushel. March soyoil rose 0.01 cent to 51.19 US cents per lb. * MATIF May rapeseed eased slightly. * The Canadian dollar was trading at $0.9994 against the US dollar or US$1.0006 at 3:04 p.m. CST (2104 GMT), little changed from Wednesday's close at $0.9991 to the US dollar, or US$1.0009. * US crude oil futures lost 1.3 percent to US$96.36 per barrel, weighed down by a build-up of stocks in the United States. * Concern as cold hits EU wheat, rapeseed with no snow cover.