Community is a key construct in population health research and a major locus of health determinants study. In recent years in Canada, a new emphasis on such research has emerged in the form of community-university partnerships, supported by several of the major research granting agencies. The authors regard such partnerships as a special case of participatory action research (PAR), albeit one where greater emphasis is placed on the institutional nature of the university research partner. Drawing from the first three years' experience of a local quality of life study, and the extant North American literature on community-university partnerships, this article explores how such partnerships are established and sustained. These processes are illustrated with critical reflections on some of the methods, actions and relational issues that arose during the authors' quality of life project. The article concludes with a brief reflection on the potential benefits and costs of the growing Canadian trend to require such partnerships as a condition for research grants.