Canadian natives Jamshed Merchant and Scott Ismond met on Iowa State’s campus to talk hockey and Canadian culture.

Merchant, the Canadian consul general for much of the Midwest, stopped through Ames on his way to Perry, Iowa. Merchant said he tries to visit universities in the Midwest often to interact with Canadian students and faculty.

“Any opportunity I get to interact with Canadian students and Canadian faculty—or students here with an interest in Canada—I try to do that. Because we represent Canada, we want to meet with Canadians. Part of that also makes them aware that there is a consulate if they ever need help,” Merchant said.

The reason students should be aware that the Canadian consulate, based in Minneapolis, exists is because it can walk students through the process of renewing visas and informing them of events in their area.

“If heaven forbid they get arrested, we can’t get you out, but we can make sure you know what your rights are,” Merchant laughed.

Another reason Merchant said he wants to work with universities on environmental issues getting students and universities interested in the exchange of goods from Canada.

Merchant said the consulate recently has been working with the University of Northern Iowa to host an event about the Arctic. The consulate helped connect UNI scientists with Canadian scientists to collaborate.

“It’s easy to do tons of stuff in the Twin Cities, but it’s not often that you go to the University of Northern Iowa. We’d like to do similar things like that with ISU,” Merchant said.

Merchant was born in India, grew up in England and later moved to Canada.

“Representing your country is always a great honor no matter where you are in the world. It’s a real opportunity to help grow Canada,” Merchant said.

Both Merchant and Ismond, president of Cyclone Hockey and senior in public relations from Calgary in Alberta, Canada, said the difference between Canada and the Midwest is not very significant.

“Things are very similar between the Midwest and how I grew up in Canada,” Ismond said. “It’s a pretty easy transition for myself.”

Merchant agreed that the Midwest reminds him of Canada.

“We stopped off near a small town just east of here, and I was just struck by how similar the landscape was to the Canadian west but [also] how similar the town was. There was the same kind of main street, same railway track going through them. The way we look at the world is very similar,” Merchant said of one of his trips through Iowa.

Ismond said his friends, classmates and professors are all understanding of his culture, despite the occasional joke.

“I’ve got one professor right now that compares me to Robin Scherbatsky from “How I Met Your Mother” because we’re both Candaian, but I do appreciate that same professor recognizes Canadian Thanksgiving in our class or recognizes the recent shootings that happened in Ottawa,” Ismond. “Having that awareness is very nice and important.”