As part of their continuing effort to reduce the size of their viewing audience, the Mass Casualty Commission today featured a roundtable discussion on “Rurality and Community Well-Being”. The information on the MCC website suggested that the goal of the discussion was to address culture and attitudes of rural life in Nova Scotia, limited and differential service delivery in rural areas, and health and safety of those working in rural communities and how the rural context affects their working lives. The roundtable as facilitated by Dr. Emma Cunliffe, Research and Policy Director for the MCC, and featured Robin Campbell, PhD Candidate at Dalhousie University, Madonna Doucette, Director, Youth Project, Dr. Karen Foster, Associate Professor of Sociology in the Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology, Dalhousie University, Dr. Lesley Frank, Professor at Acadia University, and Dr. Marilyn MacDonald, Professor at Dalhousie University’s School of Nursing.  It is difficult to understand what the MCC Commissioners think they are getting from these discussions, particularly considering the time and resources being expended in having ‘expert’ reports prepared and then scheduling days and days of hearing time to listen to them. Dr. Cunliffe and the research team seem to be fascinated by these academic discussions, but they are only marginally connected to the events of the mass casualty.