Candle Emporium

Tucked away in the underground level of 99 Yorkville Avenue is a little shop of glowing goodies and luxurious fragrances. The Candle Emporium is a one-stop shop for all things candle, and passersby not in the know might easily miss out as they make their way through Toronto’s busy Yorkville neighbourhood. The shop, which was called “Ye Olde” by its original owner, has been open since the 1950s and was quite possibly the first candle shop of its kind in the city. The ownership of the shop changed hands in 1990 to his wife, Joanne Kim's cousin, and later Jong Jyoung took over the business after immigrating to Canada from the U.K.

Visitors can expect to be dazzled by the ensemble of candles that occupies almost every nook and cranny of the Candle Emporium. This little shop of wax wonders is aged to perfection, and it's easy to feel the romance in the air when you stumble upon the Lampe Berger air diffusers, or the scented “kissing candles” which are made out of two twisting candles that convey the act of kissing.