Honey Candles had their 2nd annual staff barbecue the end of June, just before the big inventory and candle counting day. This has become a nice tradition started last year when the company began the transition going from being owned by Roy and Leah to their daughter, Alecia and son-in-law Stephen. The changeover is complete and although Roy and Leah are not far away and are quick and willing to offer advice, it is now Alecia and Stephen’s company.
Honey Candles has had a good year and the staff, new and old received gifts. The newer staff all accepted a variety box of candles. That means they get to try out and enjoy candles other than the ones they make. Staff that had been here a little longer received special candle snuffers and wick trimmers. The senior staff, of which I am one, received a beautiful hand forged candle holder from Kootenay Forge, located across the lake from us. I went home happy with my beeswax taper and wrought iron holder, confident that because of its durability it could be passed down for generations!We also said goodbye to Lorna, the Honey Candles employee that has been here almost from the beginning when Roy and Leah took over the business in the early 2000s. She will be missed, especially because she has done almost everything out in the shop. She has made tealights, columns, tapers, tubes, bases, blocks and the ornamentals. She has an incredible attention to detail and was often the ‘organizer’ in the shop which meant she has been important during inventory time. Her absence was felt this year at the annual year end counting. Many a rookie candle maker at Honey Candles has learned under Lorna’s experienced guidance. I for one will miss the chats we had when we shared a ride home because Lorna often liked to work late and leave when I went home.
All the best in the next chapter Lorna, I hope you get the time now to garden, bike, hike and kayak and do all the things that you enjoy freely.
Thank you to Stephen and Alecia for the great barbecue. The food and company was great, just as we have all come to expect at a Honey Candles function. Thanks too to Roy and Leah for being there, I know you were lending them a hand.
I had hoped to have more photos from the barbecue event. Unfortunately I did not get any great ones of the staff. I appreciated that the food didn’t object to having its photo published and neither did my lovely wrought candle holder and taper. Take some time to check out all the candle holders at Kootenay Forge. Imagine them with filled with your favorite beeswax Honey Candles®! Honey Candles and Kootenay Forge are both Canadian companies located in the Kootenays in BC.
