[1] Bjornson has lived for his entire life in the community of Gimli, Manitoba.
He worked as a teacher before entering politics, and has extensive experience in local community service.
Bjornson received a Governor General's Award for excellence in teaching Canadian history in 2000, and a Prime Minister's Medal in 2001.
With the incumbent MLA retiring, Bjornson defeated Tory candidate by 5500 votes to 3651.
After the election, Bjornson was appointed as Manitoba's Minister of Education, Citizenship and Youth.