Catherine is my Mother's Name

My name is Emeraude Domingos-Mbuku and I am the founder of Catherine & Co. I started this small business as a hobby in March 2020 after having lost two jobs. At the time, everybody was making bread and I thought I'd get ahead of the game hobby-wise by making candles. It worked, sort of. I ended up making way more candles than I thought possible and needed to get rid of them as they were taking over my parents' living room, guest bedroom and basement. My mother wasn't too pleased that my hobby was taking over her home. 

In July 2020, I made my first sale under Catherine & Co. I named this small company after my mother because we were spending a lot of time working and making candles together. She was also the one who gave me the idea to name the Everyday Originals collection in our language. When she was a child, her mother and her sold baked goods at their shop in the mornings and delivering food products to nearby towns in the afternoons. Business had always been in her blood. My mother is my biggest supporter and while I may not be following in her exact footsteps, I hold her ideologies near me.

Catherine & Co. candles are designed to fit in your space and start a conversation. We pride ourselves in having a candle for every situation - whether you immortalize that time you saw your favourite drag queen at Crews & Tangos or want to show someone how much you appreciate them, we got you. Each candle is meticulously handcrafted using a soy wax blend and infused with non-toxic fragrance oils sourced by family-run perfumers in Canada and the United States. Catherine & Co. candles are both meaningful and inspirational and make lighting up a candle a part of your daily ritual. 

Illustration by the lovely Annum Shah.