RURAL Candles

Some pictures are from the websites of the businesses we feature. This post may contain affiliate links. At no cost to you, we may earn a small commission if you make a purchase. This helps support our team and allows us to keep making local shopping in Canada easy. Thank you for supporting our small business too!

What inspired you to start your business?

It came to me unexpectedly. I inherited RURAL from my best friend, who passed away from an aggressive form of cancer in 2022. I had known him for over 30 years, and even though we often lived in different cities and years would pass without seeing each other, when we got together, it was always as though no time had passed. We always talked about starting a business together but never actually did because we were always busy doing other things. RURAL Candles was just a fledgling company when he got sick, and I promised him that I would do something with it and make it into something to be proud of. It’s a beautiful business and an honour for me to carry on.

How would you describe your business?

RURAL creates beautifully simple scented candles designed for slow living. All of our products are locally handcrafted in small batches using premium coconut waxes, high-grade fragrances, and pure cotton wicks. Our ingredients are paraben-free, phthalate-free, lead- and zinc-free.

What’s your bestselling product & why are they so popular?

Our best sellers are our Classic Glass Candles, which come in 11 fresh fruit and nature-inspired scents, decorated with genuine gemstone chips, and are individually boxed and ready for gifting.

I think it’s our scents that people really love, along with the gemstone sprinkles that we use, which make our candles feel just a little more magical and make a very special gift.

What’s your favourite product from your own shop?

My personal favourites are our handblown art glass candles and our hand-thrown pottery candles. I love collaborating with other local artists to create beautiful pieces that are meant to be kept and cherished forever.

What’s your favourite local business?

I love my local gardening stores!