Holiday celebrations seem warmer and more festive in the glow of candlelight, and Christmas in Meaford isn’t complete without a visit to our local candle factory. For more than a decade, Country Affair Custom Candles has been shipping Meaford-made candles to customers far and wide, as well as helping to light the homes of Meaford folks and visitors to the town.

Terry Ellah used to work the flea market circuit, selling various products, candles among them. When his candle supplier disappeared in the mid 90s, he decided he’d learn how to make them himself. It couldn’t be that tough. Actually, candlemaking is quite an art, and fortunately Terry found Peter Parker, a master chandler living in Thornbury, to teach him the secrets of creating beautiful, long-lasting candles.

Terry and his wife, Diane, began making hand-poured candles out of their shed and house in rural Meaford, developing a signature style with a bumpy texture. “The idea came out of the states,” says Diane. “We Canadianized it because they were a little too primitive for Canadian tastes, and it’s one of our biggest lines now.

Country Affair quickly thrived, wholesaling to retailers across North America. After three expansions to the shed to accommodate the operation and its 10 employees, they decided they needed a bigger space. In 2001, they found it in Meaford’s old “Wheelbarrow Factory”, a poured-concrete building built in the late 1880s for the Meaford Wheelbarrow Company.

Along with more space for the candle factory, they now had room for a factory retail outlet, and they opened their doors direct to customers. In the years since, the retail end, which offers furniture, decorations and other homestyle items along with their candles, has grown to represent around half of the company’s business.

Country Affair continues to make all their candles by hand. Skilled candlemakers melt the wax, add dyes and fragrances and then hand pour them into vessels or molds. The art comes in knowing the properties of different waxes and different dyes and how they react to heat, to create the perfect blend that will look beautiful, smell delightful and burn for a long, long time.

The retail space has expanded a number of times, and recently Country Affair opened another storage area to the public, with warehouse sales five times a year.

But check things out for yourself. The Candle Factory is located at 267 Marshall St. E. Meaford. Call toll-free 888 771 9912 or visit www.countryaffaircandles.com.