Crew have assigned airports. Crew showing up at their assigned airport when its time to work have met their obligations. If they don't have something to do there, they get flowing elsewhere where there is productive work to do.

A crew member living near an airport they are not assigned to also gets fly to where they are assigned. Under less comfortable obligations; it might be free but individuals are rolling the dice on their free commute getting them to the appointed time and place on time.

And in the reverse, getting home, getting home to dinner and the kiddos T-ball game.

If this pilot was assigned to YYZ (could well have driven in from their summer home in Windsor for all it matters), AC has a moral responsibility to also get him home. And per their union contract, and obligation that they do that in J.

Which is all to say "truly heading home" matters not at all.