Thorwin Properties marked a new chapter with the ribbon cutting of 65 Kirkbridge Drive, celebrating the people, leadership and teamwork behind the new 78-suite rental community. The milestone also reflects Kris Thorkelson's forward-thinking leadership and Thorwin's continued focus on community, innovation and making the rental experience easier and more welcoming through its new corporate website.
WINNIPEG, MB, Aug. 31, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- There is a moment in every building project when it stops being about drawings, schedules and site meetings.
It becomes about people.
For 65 Kirkbridge Drive, that moment has arrived. On August 20, 2026, Thorwin Properties gathered in Fort Richmond to celebrate the official ribbon cutting of 65 Kirkbridge Drive, Richmond Crossing.
What began as a development project is now a seven-storey, 78-suite rental community where people are moving in, settling down and turning a new building into a growing community.
From a Building to a Community
We were honoured to welcome Jennifer Chen, MLA for Fort Richmond, and Councillor Janice Lukes to mark the occasion alongside Kris Thorkelson, President and Owner of Thorwin Properties.
A ribbon cutting takes about four seconds.
Getting to the ribbon takes considerably longer.
Behind 65 Kirkbridge were years of planning, design decisions, construction, problem-solving, leasing, marketing and operations. There were plenty of moving parts, a few late nights, and probably more spreadsheets than anyone would care to admit in print.
But buildings do not become communities the day the last inspection clears.
They become communities when someone gets their keys, carries in the first box, decides where the couch goes and changes their mind twice.
That is when a building begins to become a community.
The Leadership Behind the Momentum
Ask anyone at Thorwin about Kris Thorkelson and you will hear a version of the same thing.
He asks good questions. He listens longer than you expect. And he tends to say yes to the idea that has not been tried yet.
For the Marketing team, that trust meant having room to think, create, experiment and push things forward. It gave us the confidence to bring ideas forward, ask different questions and occasionally say, "What if we tried this instead?"
That kind of trust matters.
It gives good ideas a chance to become great ones, and it gives people a reason to stay.
Over the years, Kris has helped build a lot in Winnipeg, but the real legacy has never been the buildings themselves. It is the belief that a strong company should make a positive difference in the communities it is part of.
That belief shows up in the way Thorwin invests in neighbourhoods, supports local causes and quietly backs community work that rarely comes with a photo opportunity.
He is not especially interested in being thanked for it.
He is interested in it being done well.
His vision and forward thinking continue to challenge us to raise our game, look ahead and keep moving Thorwin Properties into the future.
Building What Comes Next
That future now includes the launch of the new Thorwin Properties corporate website at Thorwin.ca.
A new building and a new website may seem like very different projects. They really are not. Both are about being ready for what comes next and making the experience of finding a home a little easier.
One of the most meaningful additions to the new corporate website is its translation feature, helping newcomers and new Canadians access information in a variety of languages.
It may sound like a small feature, but it speaks to a much bigger goal: making the search for a home feel less confusing and less stressful.
That same focus on clarity and inclusion carried through to Thorwin Properties' 2025 award-winning campaign, Breaking Barriers: A Vision for Inclusive and Transparent Communities.
The goal was simple: make information easier to understand, remove unnecessary barriers and help people feel more confident as they begin looking for a home in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Finding a home in a new city can be stressful enough. For newcomers, understanding the rental process can add another layer of uncertainty. Offering information in multiple languages is one small way to make that experience feel clearer and more welcoming.
The new website was built to simplify the search, make information easier to understand and help renters connect with Thorwin in a more natural way.
Technology may change the tools. It should not change the reason we use them.
Looking Ahead
The ribbon has been cut.
The doors are open.
The lobby smells like new paint and someone's takeout.
And the real story of 65 Kirkbridge is only beginning.
To our residents, community leaders, project partners and every team member who helped bring 65 Kirkbridge to life, thank you.
Buildings are made from concrete, steel and a very large number of decisions.
Communities are built by people.
And that is where the best part of the story begins.
Discover more at Thorwin.ca
Media Contact
Jeff Aquino, Thorwin Properties, 1 2045600037, [email protected], Thorwin Properties
SOURCE Thorwin Properties
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