A refugee story

THE TOWN OF ANTIGONISH, NOVA SCOTIA, HAS A HISTORY THAT IS NOT UNLIKE THAT OF OTHER SMALL TOWNS across Canada. With archaeological evidence of Mi’kmaq people dating back more than 9,000 years, the earliest European settlers included Acadians and the French, with British loyalists putting down roots following the American Revolution. Waves of Scottish, English, and Irish settlers followed over the next century, with Dutch immigrants making the northeastern part of Nova Scotia home following the Second World War — due, in part, to the agricultural land that surrounds the town.

The small town of 5,000, known as the home of Sir Francis Xavier University and the oldest continuously running Highland Games outside of Scotland, is now known as the home of ‘Peace by Chocolate,’ a company headed by Tareq Hadhad, whose family arrived as Syrian refugees in 2016.

How did a Syrian family — who lost everything in the Syrian war and spent years in a Lebanese refugee settlement before coming to Canada — grow a small business from their kitchen to become internationally acclaimed, award-winning chocolatiers and a successful business in rural Canada?

Attendees at Grain Farmers of Ontario’s annual March Classic, held in London, Ontario, in March 2024, got the opportunity to hear first-hand from Hadhad, who shared the family’s captivating and inspiring story.

IT ALL BEGAN IN SYRIA

The Hadhads owned a large and successful chocolate business in Damascus, and for over 30 years, the business that Tareq’s father, Essam, started shipped delicacies across the Middle East and Europe.

The war in Syria changed the trajectory of the family’s life; after bombs destroyed their homes and the chocolate factory in 2012, the family, like millions of other Syrians, became refugees.

“My entire family was scattered… in 23 countries around the world,” says Hadhad, who recalls 60 members of his family once living under the same roof.

Hadhad and his immediate family ended up in Lebanon, where they would live for the next three years while he tried to find a country to emigrate to. Formerly a medical student, Hadhad was working as a volunteer for the United Nations. Thanks to a chance meeting with a cab driver who had lived in Montreal, Hadhad learned about the opportunity to go to Canada, and their application was accepted.

“We applied to 15 countries,” says Hadhad. “Imagine, 15 countries, and no other country around the planet opened their doors for me and my family.”

ARRIVING IN ANTIGONISH

Hadhad arrived in Canada in 2015; his family followed a year later. “When I landed, there was a group of Canadians waiting for me,” says Hadhad. “This was the community of Antigonish, Nova Scotia. A town of 5,000 people… they came together, and they wanted to bring a refugee family to Canada.”

The town, Hadhad says, welcomed the family with open arms. “Being welcomed in this way, it made me feel more confident to launch my life here in Canada with my family.”

When they first sold their chocolate at a local farmers’ market, Hadhad says he was surprised to see a line of more than 200 people waiting to buy it. With the support of the local community, the business has continually grown — now employing more than 75 people (the third largest employer in Antigonish), with products in 1,000 stores and a storefront in Halifax.

The Hadhad family’s remarkable story has been made into a major motion picture, the subject of a book, and Hadhad has been recognized with several awards, including the Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award and Entrepreneur Award 2020.

PROUD CANADIANS

Hadhad speaks glowingly of his new homeland but says that he hasn’t escaped some of the negativity that immigrants and refugees sometimes attract. He recalls a story of someone who asked him why ‘he came to Canada to take Canadian jobs.’

“No one was born to become a refugee,” says Hadhad. “Becoming a refugee is not a choice, it’s not a decision. It was something we were forced to go through.”

“But I believed that my family had something to offer this country.” In 2022, the entire Hadhad family became Canadian citizens.

RETURN ON KINDNESS

“Many people think only about the return on investment when building their business,” says Hadhad.

He leads his business with another metric in mind: the ‘return on kindness.’

“There is something a lot more important than the ROI to measure success,” says Hadhad. “Our company was growing really fast, and we thought that we needed to give back to the community.” Peace by Chocolate donates three to five per cent of its profits to the Peace on Earth Society, a Nova Scotian charity that supports peace-building projects around the world, as well as many other local and Canadian-based charities. They are also committed to supporting refugees through employment and mentoring.

“When I became a citizen… I said I could use my platform and business to change the lives of others in the community who are less fortunate,” says Hadhad.

The Peace by Chocolate film is available to stream on streaming services such as Prime Video. •