Bruce Deg is hoping a short absence makes the heart grow fonder.
After four years on the outside, he's seeking to return to the Swift Current City Council table in November's election.
"I've always been a person that's been interested in in politics," Deg said. "I like to roll up my sleeves and go to work, and so I'm not one that's going to sit back. If have some criticisms, I hold them to myself, but I like to just get in there and do it myself."
Deg served on council from 2016 to 2020 before a significant turnover in the most recent election saw him unseated.
Three sitting councillors lost their spots in 2020 and Deg is the first of them to make a move to return to the table.
"I'm very proud of this community," Deg said. "I think this is a great community. We moved here in 2004, and we want to stay here, and I want my families to stay here. We need to make sure that it's an attractive community for everybody. "
He remembers a lot of activity when he was last on council.
"We had lots of events going on in our community," Deg said. "Maybe a little bit too much at times, but what it did was put our community on the map. I think that's very important. We need to be recognized in Canada, as well as worldwide as a destination for people."
Deg previously served as Governance Board Member and Chairperson of the Rolling Hills Health District from 1995 to 2002, followed by his tenure on the Cypress Health Region board from 2002 to 2009. He has also been a member of the Swift Current 57’s Baseball Club’s Board of Governors and volunteer since 2009, and most recently helped as a volunteer in the planning and delivery of the 2023 National Mixed Curling championship.