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Peace by Chocolate is a chocolate company based in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada.[1] The company was founded in 2016 by the Hadhad family, after moving to Canada as Syrian refugees.[2][3][4]

History

After the Syrian civil war, Tareq Hadhad received a sponsorship from Antigonish, Nova Scotia, in 2015 which led to the rest of the family following in 2016.[5][6] Upon arriving in Canada, Tareq’s father Issam Hadhad, who had previously opened a factory and two shops in Damascus, began making chocolate out of his kitchen.[7][8][9] The family wanted to increase production and reached out for financial assistance. After explaining that “borrowing money from a bank is not part of our culture” they received an interest-free loan from the community.[10] They raised over $25,000 in a GoFundMe campaign.[11] Peace By Chocolate has also received over $400,000 in assistance from government sources, such as Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.[12]

In 2018, Peace by Chocolate started the organization Peace on Earth Society, which receives 3-5% of all company returns. The company considers the society to be an “early step towards one day creating a registered not-for-profit.” By September 2023, the company had put $552,000 into the Peace on Earth Society.[13][3] On March 5, 2021, the company opened a storefront along the Halifax Waterfront.[14]

Recognition

Peace by Chocolate’s story has been cited by the Liberal Party of Canada. Specifically, in Cabinet Minister Sean Fraser‘s campaign and one of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau‘s speeches at the United Nations.[15][16]

Tareq Hadhad was appointed to Invest Nova Scotia’s board of directors in September 2017.[17] In September 2020, he won a National Entrepreneurship Award for his positive impact as a new Canadian, and was one of the recipients of the Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards of 2020.[18][19]

In March 2023, during United States President Joe Biden’s trip to Ottawa, Green Party leader Elizabeth May gave him a chocolate bar from Peace by Chocolate as a gift.[20]

Jon Tattrie wrote a book about the Hadhad company in 2020.[21] A film adaptation of the family’s story, also called Peace by Chocolate, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2021.[22]

In 2022, Tareq Hadhad was named as a panelist on Canada Reads, advocating for Omar El Akkad‘s novel What Strange Paradise.[23]

References

  1. ^ Ziafati, Noushin (April 22, 2020). “Companies giving free chocolates to Canadians spreading kindness”. www.theguardian.pe.ca. Archived from the original on 2020-05-01. Retrieved 2020-11-06.
  2. ^ “Nouvelle-Écosse: le chocolatier syrien Tareq Hadhad devient Canadien”. January 16, 2020.
  3. ^ a b Csernyik, Rob. “Good Company: Peace by Chocolate’s Sweets With a Mission”. www.barrons.com. Retrieved 2020-11-06.
  4. ^ “‘This day is not one we’ll be forgetting’: Syrian refugee family opening clothing shop on first anniversary in Canada”. Yahoo News. Archived from the original on 2020-11-30. Retrieved 2020-11-06.
  5. ^ Associates), MEDA (Mennonite Economic Development (April 4, 2019). “Starting over with Peace by Chocolate”.
  6. ^ “Refugee and chocolate maker Tareq Hadhad now a Canadian citizen”. Global News.
  7. ^ “Peace By Chocolate founder Tareq Hadhad tells a sweet story of family, food and fortune”. 2021-12-03. Retrieved 2026-04-27.
  8. ^ Bloomberg, B. N. N. (June 28, 2019). “Meet the refugee-run company behind Trudeau’s favourite chocolate – BNN Bloomberg”. BNN. Archived from the original on 2019-11-22.
  9. ^ Buder, Emily. “Peace by Chocolate: A Syrian Refugee in Canada Opens a Chocolate Factory – The Atlantic”. www.theatlantic.com.
  10. ^ ““Now it’s our turn to lend a hand to those who are coming to Canada” – CPA Canada”. www.cpacanada.ca. Archived from the original on 2024-08-09.
  11. ^ “Peace by Chocolate on GoFundMe”. November 10, 2016 – via YouTube.
  12. ^ Secretariat, Treasury Board of Canada. “Open Government Portal”. search.open.canada.ca.
  13. ^ “The Bittersweet Story of Peace by Chocolate”. The Chocolate Professor. January 31, 2024.
  14. ^ Nichols, Trevor (2021-03-05). “Peace By Chocolate opens flagship Halifax store”. Huddle. Retrieved 2026-04-27.
  15. ^ “PEACE BY CHOCOLATE TO DOUBLE WORKFORCE, EXPAND OPERATIONS”. Forward. For Everyone. September 5, 2019. Archived from the original on 2024-01-20.
  16. ^ Kevin Bissett (September 21, 2016). “Trudeau shares refugee family’s chocolate business story in UN speech”. Toronto Star. The Canadian Press.
  17. ^ “Invest Nova Scotia Welcomes Tareq Hadhad to Board | Government of Nova Scotia News Releases”. news.novascotia.ca.
  18. ^ Nichols, Trevor (2020-09-15). “Peace By Chocolate Founder Wins National Entrepreneurship Awards”. Huddle. Retrieved 2020-11-06.
  19. ^ “Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards”. Canadian Immigrant. Retrieved 2021-06-06.
  20. ^ Lombard, Natalie (March 25, 2023). “U.S. President Joe Biden given Maritime-made Peace by Chocolate bar during visit to Ottawa”. CTV News. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  21. ^ “THE BOOK SHELF: Peace by Chocolate founder shares his dream and journey in new book”. www.thechronicleherald.ca. Retrieved 2020-11-06.
  22. ^ Brooklyn Currie, “Peace by Chocolate film to debut at NYC’s Tribeca Film Festival”. CBC News Nova Scotia, May 3, 2021.
  23. ^ “Meet the Canada Reads 2022 contenders”. CBC Books, January 26, 2022.