Until the Syrian war in 2012, master chocolate maker Isameddin Hadhad was renowned in Damascus for his artisanal chocolates. Finding refuge in Canada, he and his family are making chocolate again—and using their business to spread the message of peace.
I’m striding along the Halifax waterfront, shoulders hunched against a blustery autumn breeze that’s threatening to toss me into the harbor. Dark, bruised clouds hang heavy across Georges Island, while a ferry, lit by a sudden burst of sunlight, lurches through the fog. I pull my scarf tighter and make a run for the brightly lit Peace by Chocolate store, its warm and welcoming interior glowing like the North Star.
Inside, amid the rows of glass cases displaying truffles and fondants, I find a wall of chocolate bars dedicated to the global protection of children, and another filled with ‘Pride’ bars advocating the LGBTQ+ community flag. With the tagline, ‘One Peace Won’t Hurt,’ the hand-crafted collection includes everything from creamy white chocolate with blueberry to gold chocolate with hazelnut.
But it’s the portrait of chocolatier and founder Isameddin (Isam) Hadhad that I’m drawn to. Painted by Syrian-Canadian artist Houssam Alloum, the image is a portal to a story that began in Damascus, Syria. A story about peace, hope and the human spirit.
It was the end of 2012 when what started as an uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad finally escalated into a full-scale civil war. As the bombs fell, Isam Hadhad’s chocolate-making factory was hit. The building was destroyed, and Isam and his extended family were forced to flee to Lebanon as refugees.
According to the UN Refugee Agency, there are 110 million forcibly displaced people worldwide, comprised of internally displaced people, refugees, asylum-seekers and people in need of international protection.
For the next two-and-a-half years they lived in limbo until Isam’s son Tareq was invited to continue his studies under the Canadian refugee program. The invitation also included all nine members of his extended family—their final destination the small Nova Scotian town of Antigonish.
“The war reshaped not just the physical landscape of Damascus, but also the very essence of our existence,” Tareq tells me. “Before the war, my family lived on the border between the modern city and the ancient city in a massive building of so many floors. Together my family would gather for breakfast in my grandmother’s house and the aroma of freshly baked bread and spices would fill the air. Our life was a mix of simplicity and joy.”
During this pre-war period, the family’s chocolate business had grown to become one of the largest in the region. Isam Hadhad had initially trained as an engineer, but started making chocolates after attending a family wedding. “My father loved the idea of building a happy community about him,” says Tareq. “His passion for chocolate, community and change led him to become a very well-known chocolatier.”
In what can only be described as a fairytale, Isam fell in love with his future wife after offering her a sample of his chocolates. Then came the war.
“The process of leaving Syria involved navigating complex challenges,” says Tareq. “The journey included so much uncertainty, with each step requiring a lot of courage.” He still has one sister who was stuck in Syria during the war with her husband and children. He explains that the feelings associated with leaving were very complicated and included a mix of sadness, loss and uncertainty.
According to the UN Refugee Agency, there are 110 million forcibly displaced people worldwide (UNHCR data, mid-2023), comprised of internally displaced people, refugees, asylum-seekers and people in need of international protection. More than half of those identified as refugees originate from just three countries: Syria with 6.5 million, Afghanistan with 6.1 million, and now Ukraine with 5.9 million.
“We didn’t choose Antigonish originally, but Antigonish chose us.”
- Tareq Hadhad
While these numbers are near-impossible to comprehend, the percentage breakdown of countries hosting refugees is equally sobering. Turkey and the Islamic Republic of Iran are the world’s two leading refugee-hosting countries, each having taken 3.4 million people, followed by Germany with 2.5 million and Colombia with 2.5 million. According to the UNHCR, Canada has welcomed 1,088,015 refugees since 1980.
The town of Antigonish greeted the refugees like family, with a small contingent meeting them at the airport with open arms and handmade welcome signs. Touchingly, some had even attempted to write in Arabic.
From day one, the close-knit community went out of their way to make the Hadhads feel safe, accepted and valued. “We didn’t choose Antigonish originally, but Antigonish chose us.”
In return, the Hadhads started making traditional Syrian chocolates in ice-cube trays in their kitchen and began sharing them with their new friends at potlucks and local gatherings. The response was so positive they began selling batches at the farmer’s market. When the Fort McMurray wildfires hit Alberta, the family made a unique range of chocolates to raise money for evacuees.
By early 2016, Peace by Chocolate, with its message of support and community, was born. “The warmth of the community in Antigonish played a major role in helping our family rebuild our lives,” says Tareq. “The community offered us friendship and this support helped ease the transition and gave us a sense of belonging.”
Peace by Chocolate grew rapidly, with the story gaining global recognition after a shout-out by Prime Minister Trudeau in his speech to the United Nations in September 2016. There’s now a book, a movie, and a second store in the capital city of Halifax. The artisanal chocolates have even been shared aboard the International Space Station.
From inception, the family’s goal for Peace by Chocolate was to support initiatives that foster peace and help alleviate the suffering of others. Today, the company donates 3-5 percent of all profits to the Peace on Earth Society, with 11 active partnerships including the Refugee Hub of Canada, the Nitap Indigenous Program, the Grocery Foundation of Atlantic Canada, the Canadian Mental Health Association and Peace for Ukraine.
Would the Hadhads return to Syria? “Canada is not like a hotel or a hospital that we leave after we recover,” says Tareq. “It is our home now, which means that we are committed to staying and contributing to this incredible nation.”
On my last day in Halifax, I return to Peace by Chocolate to buy treats to take home to Australia for family and friends. With each chocolate made, the Hadhads are asking us to remember the countless people worldwide who are still being displaced by war. And that peace, compassion and inclusivity are the noblest values of all.
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Kerry van der Jagt is an award-winning freelance writer sharing stories about sustainable travel, history, culture and the environment. Her goal is to visit all 15 post-Soviet states, and to ride a Ferris wheel in each.
