On a sun-dappled Monday afternoon along the Lower Don River Trail, six Torontonians walk beneath a canopy of trees, between the muffled traffic of the Don Valley Parkway and the flowing river.
asserted
Torontonians → dapple → Parkway
They have something in common: no one needs to be at work.
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one → need → work
Some were laid off.
asserted
Some → lay → ?
Others are reconsidering their careers.
asserted
Others → reconsider → careers
For now, they’ve found a reason to get outside and a group of people who understand what it’s like when work suddenly becomes uncertain.
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work → find → what
The Toronto Layoff Hiking Group brings together people navigating unemployment and career transitions for weekly walks.
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Group → bring → walks
Founder Tony Zhang, laid off from Meta earlier this year, was inspired by a similar group in the San Francisco Bay Area.
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Zhang → lay → Area
“A lot of people have been laid off and feel a bit lonely,” Zhang said.
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Zhang → lay → people
“People decided to take this time to enjoy their severance, essentially, then go on hikes,” he said of the United States gatherings.
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he → decide → gatherings
“Part of it is because they know they are a bit depressed, but then they realize they want to meet with communities and talk to other people.”
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they → know → people
Zhang moved back to Toronto, his Canadian hometown, in mid-July.
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Zhang → move → July
He knows layoffs are happening here too.
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layoffs → know → ?
In August, 1,105,100 people were permanently or temporarily laid off across the country in the previous 12 months, according to Statistics Canada.
uncertain
people → lay → Canada
Ontario accounts for 40.5 per cent of those layoffs at 447,700 people.
asserted
Ontario → account → people
The layoff rate sits at 0.7 per cent, representing people who were employed in August but unemployed in September because of a layoff.
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who → sit → layoff
StatCan says this is similar to last year’s rate at the time, 0.6 per cent, despite tariff uncertainty.
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this → say → uncertainty
Walking experts — Heritage Toronto, ROMWalks, Toronto Field Naturalists, City of Toronto, and “Stroll” author Shawn Micallef — share their top walks.
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experts → walk → walks
Walking experts — Heritage Toronto, ROMWalks, Toronto Field Naturalists, City of Toronto, and “Stroll” author Shawn Micallef — share their top walks.
asserted
experts → share → walks
Toronto psychologist Amanda Tobe, whose practice supports people through career transitions and job-related anxiety, says walking groups can offer connection and opportunities to share job-search resources.
But job loss can also undermine people’s self-esteem, particularly when their work is closely tied to their identity.
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work → support → identity
“All those self-doubts that people deal with, it comes in the form of anxiety or anxiety-provoking thoughts and feelings about themselves, the job search and what they’re capable of,” she said.
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she → deal → what
Zhang advertised the first meet-up on Reddit last month.
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Zhang → advertise → Reddit
One person attended, but the group’s chat has since grown to about 50 members.
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chat → attend → members
Four to six people now join each weekly walk.
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people → join → walk
“They like to come here and trauma bond,” Zhang explained along the trail.
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Zhang → like → trail
“Most of their friends are employed, and they can’t just constantly talk about that.”
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they → employ → that
During the hour long walk, group members swapped stories about their layoffs in casual tones.
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members → swap → tones
But they also discussed things to do in the city, hobbies, sports and dream travel destinations.
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they → discuss → city
From Scarborough to St. John’s, these outings became part of their daily rhythm.
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outings → become → rhythm
From Scarborough to St. John’s, these outings became part of their daily rhythm.
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outings → become → rhythm
Getting laid off, however, still felt fresh for 41-year-old newcomer Van-Lang Cao.
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laid → lay → Cao
In a zipped-up Toronto Maple Leafs hoodie, he was quieter than the rest, starting his walk near the back of the group before joining conversations.
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he → zip → conversations
Cao was laid off from an advertising technology company just one week prior.
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Cao → lay → company
Microsoft laid him off about 10 years ago, too.
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Microsoft → lay → him
“It’s part of life,” he said.
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he → ’ → life
“I decided to join the group because I thought it would be fun.
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it → decide → group
I’m trying to get more steps in and find something to do on my Monday.”
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I → try → Monday
Now entering his early-40s — “primed for a mid-life crisis” — Cao said he is taking some time to relax before drafting his resume.
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he → enter → resume
He feels weary about how the job searching process has changed, with people using AI to apply for openings, and companies using AI to screen candidates.
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process → feel → candidates
Back for her second group walk, communications worker Samantha Dolan, 36, found the get together on Reddit.
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Dolan → find → Reddit
She decided to look for new opportunities when her maternity leave ended in January.
asserted
leave → decide → January
…and 12 more, not listed.
The Aporia
