People

Becoming a Candlemaker

Leslie likes to keep busy.

At this time of year, he volunteers with the Salvation Army Kettle campaign, where he enjoys meeting people. Once a week he works in the bookkeeping department at Fraserway RV.

Leslie works one afternoon a week at Fraserway RV

When he gets the chance, Leslie loves to go fishing. He lives close to Mill Lake and has fished there but his family has a boat in Prince Rupert so when he gets the opportunity to travel there, he always takes his rod and reel with him.

The family boat in Prince Rupert

In the spring and summer, Leslie enjoys the garden at the Communitas home where he lives, often taking on the task of watering the plants. He also enjoys cooking, making nearly all his own meals from scratch.

“I’m a chef,” he says, proudly, sharing his recipe for Hamburger Soup. “I love making my own recipes.”

And when he isn’t volunteering, working, fishing, or cooking, Leslie fills his days with creative pursuits.

One of Leslie’s encouraging poems

Writing is one of those endeavors. Leslie writes free-verse poetry, often inspired by his Christian faith. His poems are sometimes dedicated to family or friends and are written to encourage people towards love for God and neighbour.

Melting the paraffin is the first step in candle making

But one of his more recent creative activities is a lot more hands-on: Leslie has become a Candlemaker. Candle making is craft he picked up out of curiosity and it has become a passion.

“Making candles is relaxing, calming,” Leslie explains. “I pour my heart and soul into it.”

Making candles is a meticulous process. Leslie has purchased equipment including paraffin wax, molds, wicks, and different dyes online. He has created a work station in the large, spacious garage where he lives.

Some of the tools Leslie uses when making his beautiful candles

First, Leslie melts the paraffin in a metal kettle on the BBQ. Once it has melted, he chooses the colour he wants and adds the dye to the hot wax.

Holding the wick in the centre of the mold, he pours the wax into the mold. If he is making a two-tone candle, he must decide which colour he wants on the bottom and then wait for that to harden before adding the second colour. This can take several hours, depending on how hot the wax is.

The candle on the right shows the two-colour process

“You have to be careful with the hot wax, it can burn you,” Leslie warns. “I’ve only burnt my fingers once, but it wasn’t too bad.”

Once the wax has completely hardened, Leslie unmolds the candles and trims the wicks. The candles have a whimsical quality to them. There are angels, birds, and bees on flowers. He creates candles for festive seasons too: little skulls and witches for Halloween; trees, angels, and nativity scenes for Christmas. Sometimes he adds glitter, when the wax is still warm, to add a special touch. Leslie sells his candles when he is out in community or attending special events.