[1] The son of Jacob Frank Reimer, a Russian immigrant, he grew up in East Kildonan where his father owned a service station[2] and he graduated from Miles MacDonell Collegiate.
Before entering politics, he was a marketing and management instructor for Imperial Oil, and worked in the automobile and tourism industries in Manitoba.
[3] Reimer has received a Mayor's Award for Leadership and Service to the Winnipeg community, as well as a Certificate of Merit from the government of Canada.
[4] He was re-elected by a wider margin in 1995,[4] in a period when provincial Liberal fortunes were on the decline (the New Democratic Party (NDP) does not have a strong historical presence in this section of Winnipeg).
Reimer opposed efforts by the Manitoba government to provide safe injection paraphernalia to drug addicts, arguing instead for a zero-tolerance policy in such matters.