The Green Party's candidate in the Vernon-Monashee district has to think outside the box when it comes to making herself known to some voters.

“Because the Greens don't accept corporate or union donations, we have to get very creative with our campaigning,” said Westgate. “That means I have to be on doorsteps, I need to be on the phone, I need to be on social media and available to people however possible.”

On Sunday, Westgate and her supporters biked through Vernon, ending up at Kin Beach for a picnic fundraiser.

“I can't do 2,000 signs in town, I can't have all the print ads. We do need to make the most of a very small amount of money which I think is really good training for getting into government because I appreciate efficiency and I am a frugal person by nature so I personally appreciate that and I think the voters will too.”

Green supporters have even taken to standing on Highway 97, outside the campaign office in the old tourist building south of the city, waving campaign signs at drivers.

Westgate, the sales and marketing manager for Spa Hills Compost which helps businesses reduce their organic waste, is also a director for the non-profit Sustainable Environment Network Society.

She has urged the City of Vernon and the North Okanagan Regional District to become a Blue Dot community to protect the health of the community through environmental protection.

But the big, local issues of this campaign for her are “affordable housing but linked to employment as well, so good paying jobs and affordable housing.”

Westgate is on the same ladder as a lot of younger people living in Vernon – looking to buy an affordable residence.

“I've been looking for three years since moving here and it is difficult and that (problem) is connected to jobs.”

She said the Green Party platform has a multi-faceted approach to housing which includes giving basic income support to people in hard times and teens who've aged out of the foster care system.

“Working with municipalities on zoning rules and finding land that could be available affordable housing and obviously building the stock. We've allocated $750 million to build 4,000 new units per year. Obviously that's not going to be enough but we have to start somewhere. Also working with owners of buildings that are sitting empty currently and trying to bring those back either into rental stock or upgrading them, retro fitting them so they are available.”

Westgate expressed some concern with city council's decision to sell 19 acres of the Hesperia lands in Okanagan Landing to a developer.

“It does concern me from the perspective of developers don't always do what's best for the community. They're going to do what's best for the bottom line, so I really hope the developer does consider we have a desperate need for affordable housing and that sociey will benefit if we build those instead of higher end, larger houses.”