OTTAWA, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- Canada's ruling Conservative Party continues to take a big lead over major opposition the Liberal Party, according to a new poll released Thursday.

    The EKOS poll, commissioned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), put the support rate for the Conservatives at 36. 9 percent, compared with 27.1 percent for the Liberals.

    The Conservatives have been taking such a lead for nearly one month, following an unpopular Liberal plan to force an early election that was announced in September. The two parties had been locked in a dead heat during the summer.

    The poll gave the leftist New Democratic Party 15.3 percent, the Green Party 11.4 percent and the Bloc Quebecois at 9.4 percent.

    The poll found that regionally, the Conservatives led the survey in all provinces from Ontario to the West Coast, but were on par with the Liberals in Quebec and in the Atlantic provinces.

    Conservative support was strongest among respondents 45 years and older, especially among those at least 65 years old.

    Generally, the Liberals had proportionately more support among the university-educated, those born outside Canada, and women.

    The weekly EKOS poll was conducted between Nov. 11 and Nov. 24. A total of 5,759 Canadians over the age of 18 were surveyed.