I would share my friend's comments. I can't recall recently doing that. It would be a very odd occurrence.
Generally, when a preliminary inquiry is scheduled, it's for a very focused purpose. Although it's referred to as a dress rehearsal of the trial, that's a bit of a generous description, because the Crown isn't required to provide all of their witnesses and evidence. Generally, the parties agree on which witnesses they want to hear from, and it's very focused.