How the Hadhad family went from war in Syria to Peace by Chocolate

Los Angeles-based Magnetic North Pictures has been busy turning the story of Peace by Chocolate founder Tareq Hadhad and his family into a dramatic feature film that’s expected to debut in the fall of 2020. - Website photo from Peace by Chocolate

ANTIGONISH, N.S. — Theirs was a good life. A nice home. A successful business. A son in medical school.

But when the bombs started falling on Damascus, Syria, the lives of the Hadhad family were blown apart.

From Damascus, to a refugee camp in Lebanon, and eventually to Canada, where Tareq Hadhad, the one-time medical student, arrived alone, with nothing. But community support and a drive to give back to that community helped the family thrive in their new home.

“Peace by Chocolate is not only about chocolate,” Hadhad told Truro and Colchester Chamber of Commerce in 2017. “It is an initiative to everybody to think about how newcomers contribute in their new home country. How they work really hard to rebuild their lives after they lose everything.”

From tragedy, success

2012

Bombing destroys Hadhad home and chocolate business Assam Hadhad had been running since 1980. Assam and his family leave Syria.

Syrian rebels battle army near Damascus,half a million refugees driven out of country in 20 months http://t.co/nBPk4tiv pic.twitter.com/D64PHij2
— Ramesh Chandra (@amoli09) December 12, 2012

Nov. 24, 2015

Federal Liberal Immigration Minister John McCallum announces plan to settle 25,000 Syrian refugees by February 2016.

Nova Scotia to welcome 20 to 30 families of Syrian refugees: ISANS

Dec. 19, 2015

After three years, the family leaves a refugee camp in Lebanon for Canada.

#Syrian refugees living in dire situations in #Lebanon. This family went from 5 bedroom home to this. pic.twitter.com/a3V9M079
— Licia Corbella (@LiciaCorbella) December 17, 2012