Despite busy college schedules, students took time to hear about important local issues at the region's first forum Oct. 1. 

The Okanagan College event, organized by the Vernon Students91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™ Association, at the Kalamalka campus Tuesday evening saw close to 50 people come out to hear from candidates.

Those running in both the Vernon-Lumby (VL) riding and the Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream (KLC) riding were invited. Yet only four of the total eight candidates showed up, representing two parties.

For VL, independent Kevin Acton and NDP Harwinder Sandhu attended while Conservative Dennis Giesbrecht and Libertarian Robert Johnson did not.

For KLC, Independent Kevin Kraft and NDP Anna Warwick Sears attended while Conservative Tara Armstrong and Green Andrew Rose did not.

Student association general manager Eric Reist admitted finding students to volunteer their time to put on the forum was difficult but thanked Carly and Ava for stepping up.

"I think this is such an important part of our electoral process. We need our youth to engage," said Reist.

Candidates gave introductions and were tasked with some "pertinent and tough questions," according to Acton, who moved to the area from Victoria in 1990 and raised three children here.

"I moved up here for affordability issues and my children have moved away for the same reason," said Acton of one of the biggest issues residents are facing.

Kraft, also a father of three, and farmer and teacher, remembers trying to get by as a student, but feels more for today's youth.

"With the pressures of affordability and housing and the rising costs it91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s only gotten more difficult as a student," Kraft said.

Another parent of three, Sandhu has been the Vernon-Monashee MLA for the last four years while Acton, the mayor of Lumby for the last 16 years, is looking to take that position

As a former nurse and working in healthcare in various areas from birth to death, Sandhu's own experiences and struggles, including losing her first husband to cancer, have been the driving force behind her political drive to serve the region.

For Sears, spending the last 18 years as executive director of the Okanagan Basin Water Board, water and land are her passions.

"A big part of my job has to been to advocate for the local needs of the Okanagan," said Sears. "The most important thing for a representative to do is to listen to constituent's concerns."

The student council gave five questions to the candidates to ponder ahead of time, the first being what issue candidates think is most important to young constituents aged 18-40.

Kraft, who fits in that demographic, says affordability and housing are top concerns and despite all the buildings around UBCO he says more needs to be done to make housing affordable for students.

"That doesn91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™t necessarily mean that it91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s cheaper to live on campus at times."

Sandhu said her government is bringing affordable housing to the area and making the dream of becoming a homeowner a reality for youth.

"B.C. is building 2.5 times more housing than any other province," said Sandhu, adding more than 1,000 homes have been delivered to the area, pointing to the 101-unit student housing at the Vernon college campus.

While affordability remains a top issue, Sears says she has heard that climate change is also a major concern.

"People are worried about what their world is going to be like and what the world is going to be like if they have children," said Sears, who has a PhD in biology.

Again speaking on affordability and housing, Acton says a simpler process is needed to build homes, with less red tape.

"Not everyone wants to live in government housing, I think a lot of people want the dream of owning their own home."

Tuition was another topic brought up by students, where Sandhu pointed to the NDP cap of tuition fees to two per cent maximum annually.

"Fundamentally education is the path for a better future," she said.

Kraft supports a cap and after working at UBCO he know how budgets are getting tighter and tighter for institutions and suggests further supporting vocational and industry programs.

Sears says bringing down the cost of other things will also help students. 

"For example these rentals with a million dollar view (Kalamalka student housing) are intended to be 30 per cent less than regular rents," said Sears, also applauding free birth control the NDP has provided, which "I wish I91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™d had when I was in college."

Acton applauds forgiving student loans for those who complete their programs as an incentive.

"Investing in our province is really down to investing in our youth," said Acton, adding that a senior's facility in Lumby ended its struggle to find workers by creating a program with the high school to train students for the jobs.

When it comes to climate change, Acton would like to see a circular solution used that sees waste returned to goods.

"I think it will be the science and technology that solves this problem and people like you," he said, pointing to the college students.

As a former firefighter Kraft says attacking climate change seriously involves addressing fires before they start through fire smart actions, forest management and water management.

Sears did agree that it's cheaper to do fuel management than fighting wildfires.

"We can't afford (climate change) right now."

Sandhu said she recently helped get $50 million for Aberdeen Plateau work "to not only protect the forest but protecting our watersheds."

When it comes to casting your vote on or before the provincial election date of Oct. 19, each of the two party sides had something to say.

"This election will only go one of two ways," said Sears. "Either David Eby or John Rustad is elected. Votes for third party candidates will skew the results in all sorts of way."

Kraft defended that independents are crucial to hold both parties accountable.

"I can91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™t think of a better way for people to be truly represented than to have a sway of independents holding that banner for you," he said.

Acton says there are a record number of independent candidates running in this election and "I think it91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s because people are tired of big party politics. There is a very, very good chance that we will have a minority government."

Sears made a number of jabs at Rustad and the fact that none of his Conservatives running in either of the two local ridings attended the forum.

And Sandhu finished with something she hopes all will take into consideration, no matter who is elected.

"It91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s not to blame it91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s to learn from those mistakes and to not repeat it," said Harwinder. "Please be careful about the misinformation."

You can watch the video of the forum at .

The next forum takes place tonight, Thursday, Oct. 3 at the Towne Theatre at 7 p.m., hosted by the Sustainable Network Environment Society.

The Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce hosts a forum Saturday, Oct. 5 at the Performing Arts Centre at 2 p.m.

Another forum comes to Acton's hometown, at the Lumby Chamber of Commerce event Thursday, Oct. 10 at 7:30 p.m. at the White Valley Community Centre.