The family behind one of Canada’s most inspiring success stories has new pieces to share, with an expanded edition of Jon Tattrie’s bestselling book Peace by Chocolate bringing the Hadhad family’s journey up to date.
Published to commemorate 10 years since Peace by Chocolate was founded in Canada, the expanded edition tells the next chapter of the Hadhad family’s story, from their reunion to the company’s rise on the global stage, earning recognition from leaders such as former prime minister Justin Trudeau and then-U.S. president Joe Biden.
Goose Lane Editions managing editor Alan Sheppard says the book includes a foreword by Hadhad, along with new images and personal stories from other family members.
Sheppard says the expanded edition also explores the impact of the fall of the Syrian regime on the Hadhad family, including one sister’s experience after her first husband was “disappeared by the regime.”
“We really did not feel it was even possible for us a few years ago,” says Tareq Hadhad, CEO of Peace by Chocolate and the eldest Hadhad sibling.
He says the new material picks up where the original story left off. When the first book was published, some members of the family remained in Syria, and the COVID-19 pandemic had just begun.
Those familiar with the story know the Hadhads spent four years as refugees in neighbouring Lebanon after fleeing Syria, where a bombing destroyed their home and the family’s original chocolate factory in Damascus, founded in 1986.
“My mother would tell me that everything happens for a reason, and we really didn’t know what that reason was until after 10 years when we sat down and we started the conversation again.”
Hadhad adds there have been many positives over the years.
“Many of my family members saw opportunities in Canada, and a way for them to start again,” he says. “Most are a part of the business, a lot of them are just discovering their first job working with Peace by Chocolate.”
He says some younger family members have grown up since coming to Canada and are now able to pursue an education, something they did not have access to in Syria.
“We are growing in so many ways, making sure the family is sticking together no matter what happens.”
The family’s next projects include a new animated film that will tell the story through the eyes of Hadhad’s younger sister.
“As a little girl, she saw the war and she saw the transition between living in Syria to Lebanon as refugees to arriving here in Canada. [The story is told] from that little child’s eyes and everything that basically took place within the family’s journey.”
The company is also preparing to mark the 10th anniversary of its Peace on Earth Society, which partners with non-profits across Canada and beyond to support organizations such as the Canadian Red Cross, the Canadian Mental Health Association, and Indigenous communities.
“It was a no-brainer for us that we can do good through the business by fundraising through the sales of every product. So far, the Peace on Earth Society directly fundraised and contributed over $750,000.”
Hadhad reflects on the journey, noting that “the people of Antigonish, Nova Scotia probably never really imagined that when they came to our table at the farmers market back in 2016, that they were a part of building this universal company, what it became today, and where it’s going.”
