WATERLOO -- Only 44 per cent of Canadians plan to give out Halloween candy this year, a new survey shows.

A poll conducted Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies surveyed 15,000 Canadians.

Of those surveyed, 93 per cent of respondents whose kids went trick-or-treating last year plan to do so again.

However, less than half of those polled will be handing out candy because of the pandemic.

The poll was conducted between Oct. 22 and 24 and cannot be assigned a margin of error.

"We will probably hand out Halloween candy but my roommates and I will just leave a bucket outside," said Waterloo resident Sophia Martin. "Hopefully they will take some candy."

"I think we are going to do the same thing as last year. We had a little chute for candy to chute the candy down and all of the kids really enjoyed it," said Waterloo resident Kevin Sexton. "It will be really safe with physical distancing and making sure we don't get too close but I think it's important that kids can get out and enjoy that time."

Public health officials have said those planning to hand out candy should wash their hands beforehand and wear a face mask.