When the Hadhad family relocated to Canada in 2016 after losing their home and business in Syria, all they hoped for was a chance to rebuild their lives in peace while their son, Tareq, could study medicine. Their home in Damascus was destroyed by bombs, as was their factory, the second largest chocolate producer in the country. Their lives had been blown up “in the blink of an eye,” says Tareq Hadhad.
“We started thinking about moving to another country that would give us the human rights, the freedom and the opportunity to live again. That was absolutely Canada.”
The family did not expect to build another chocolate business, and they certainly didn’t expect to be relocated to a city smaller than Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver. The population of Antigonish, Nova Scotia is approximately 4900 people.
When father Isam brought chocolates made on his kitchen stove to a community gathering, he was encouraged to sell them at the farmer’s market in the summertime. Money was raised, a small shed was set up as a store beside their home and Peace by Chocolate was born. The name was chosen as a reminder that only in times of peace can families work, go to school and contribute to their communities.
The company is now the third largest employer in Antigonish; their products are sold across Canada and the world and carried in shops like our Avant-Garden Shop in Peterborough, Ontario.
At the time of the Fort McMurray wildfires, the family created an organization called Peace on Earth Society that raised over $100,000 for the Alberta community. As of April 2024, the organization has raised and donated over $655,000 to various good causes.
To customers, the most important part of chocolate is that it’s delicious. And they have achieved that goal.
To the Hadhad family, they have found a new life in a new home. In Tareq’s words: “My family feels safe. We are not refugees anymore. We are new Canadians.”
To learn more about Peace By Chocolate and their uniquely Canadian branded chocolate bars, visit their website https://peacebychocolate.ca/ and pop into Avant-Garden to see the selection we carry. We’re always happy to order more by demand.
Peace By Chocolate is honoured to donate 3-5% of all company returns to the Peace On Earth Society – an organization registered in Nova Scotia that contributes funds to peace-building projects around the world.
Peace by Chocolate ~ A Syrian Family Tradition