The Hadhads lived as refugees in Lebanon for three years before Issam's son, Tareq, was offered a sponsorship in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, in 2015.
After explaining that "borrowing money from a bank is not part of our culture" they received an interest-free loan from the community.
The company considers the society to be an "early step towards one day creating a registered not-for-profit."
"[10] Peace by Chocolate's story is frequently cited by the Liberal Party of Canada and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appears in a promotional video for the company.
[24] In 2022, Tareq Hadhad was named as a panelist on Canada Reads, advocating for Omar El Akkad's novel What Strange Paradise.