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.
They have something in common: no one needs to be at work.
Some were laid off. Others are reconsidering their 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.
The Toronto Layoff Hiking Group brings together people navigating unemployment and career transitions for weekly walks. Founder Tony Zhang, laid off from Meta earlier this year, was inspired by a similar group in the San Francisco Bay Area. Anyone outside the traditional 9-to-5 is welcome.
“A lot of people have been laid off and feel a bit lonely,” Zhang said.
“People decided to take this time to enjoy their severance, essentially, then go on hikes,” he said of the United States 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.”
Zhang moved back to Toronto, his Canadian hometown, in mid-July. He knows layoffs are happening here too.
In August, 1,105,100 people were permanently or temporarily laid off across the country in the previous 12 months, according to Statistics Canada. Ontario accounts for 40.5 per cent of those layoffs at 447,700 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. StatCan says this is similar to last year’s rate at the time, 0.6 per cent, despite tariff uncertainty.
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.
“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.
Zhang advertised the first meet-up on Reddit last month. One person attended, but the group’s chat has since grown to about 50 members. Four to six people now join each weekly walk.
“They like to come here and trauma bond,” Zhang explained along the trail. “Most of their friends are employed, and they can’t just constantly talk about that.”
During the hour long walk, group members swapped stories about their layoffs in casual tones. But they also discussed things to do in the city, hobbies, sports and dream travel destinations.
Getting laid off, however, still felt fresh for 41-year-old newcomer Van-Lang 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.
Cao was laid off from an advertising technology company just one week prior. Microsoft laid him off about 10 years ago, too.
“It’s part of life,” he said. “I decided to join the group because I thought it would be fun. I’m trying to get more steps in and find something to do on my 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. 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.
“It’s just been so long since I’ve been out of a job.”
Back for her second group walk, communications worker Samantha Dolan, 36, found the get together on Reddit.
She decided to look for new opportunities when her maternity leave ended in January. While still actively job searching, Dolan wants to avoid the awkward and clunky networking talks.
“Traditional networking is kind of dead,” she said. “I was looking for a way to focus on human connection, meeting people, and understanding and empathizing with situations.
“There is a lack of routine when you’re not going into the office every day. So this is something that’s really constructive and healthy for me.”
Car horns and squealing buses got louder while the group tapered off as they approached the subway station on Broadview Avenue. Members say they hope to see each other at the next get together.
Zhang hopes to expand the walks to other city trails; the Don Valley, Ashbridges Bay and Tommy Thompson Park are already checked off the route list.
But he assures members he won’t exclude anyone who finds a job. In fact, he hopes they will be able to act as references for others.
“Once they do get jobs,” he said, “hopefully they’ll pay it forward.”
