65 Kirkbridge Drive Opens: Kris Thorkelson and Thorwin Properties Cut the Ribbon on Richmond Crossing
MLA Jennifer Chen (left), Kris Thorkelson Center), Councillor Janice Lukes (Right)
More Than a Ribbon Cutting: 65 Kirkbridge Marks a New Chapter for Thorwin Properties
By Jeff Aquino, Marketing Manager, Thorwin Properties
Kris Thorkelson, President and Owner of Thorwin Properties, joined community leaders, project partners and the Thorwin team in Fort Richmond on August 20, 2026, for the official ribbon cutting of 65 Kirkbridge Drive at Richmond Crossing, a new seven-storey, 78-suite rental community in south Winnipeg.
More Than a Ribbon Cutting
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 Winnipeg's Fort Richmond neighbourhood to celebrate the official ribbon cutting of 65 Kirkbridge Drive at Richmond Crossing with project partners, team members and community leaders.
What began as plans on paper is now a seven-storey, 78-suite rental community where people are moving in, settling down and beginning to make the building their own.
A ribbon cutting takes about four seconds.
Getting to the ribbon takes considerably longer.
Who Attended the 65 Kirkbridge Drive Ribbon Cutting?
Thorwin Properties was honoured to welcome Jennifer Chen, MLA for Fort Richmond, and Councillor Janice Lukes, who joined Kris Thorkelson, President and Owner of Thorwin Properties, along with project partners and members of the Thorwin team to mark the occasion.
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 a building does not become a community the day the final inspection clears.
It happens when someone gets their keys, carries in the first box, decides where the couch should go and then changes their mind twice.
That is when a project becomes something more.
Who Is Kris Thorkelson?
Kris Thorkelson is a Winnipeg entrepreneur and the President and Owner of Thorwin Properties, a Winnipeg-based company that owns and manages more than 2,800 apartment rental units across the city.
A University of Manitoba graduate who spent years in the pharmacy industry before moving into real estate, Kris has built his businesses around a straightforward philosophy: a strong company should make a positive difference in the communities it is part of.
Ask people at Thorwin about Kris and you tend to hear a version of the same thing.
He asks good questions. He listens. And he is usually willing to give an idea a chance, especially when it challenges the way something has always been done.
For the Marketing team, that trust has meant having room to think, create, experiment and push things forward. It gave us the confidence to bring ideas to the table, ask different questions and occasionally say, "What if we tried this instead?"
That kind of trust matters.
It gives good ideas room to become better ones, and it gives people the opportunity to grow alongside the company.
The Kind of Leadership You Notice Over Time
Kris has spent decades building businesses and investing in Winnipeg, but the common thread has never simply been buildings.
It has been the belief that the work should contribute something worthwhile to the community around it.
That philosophy can be seen in the way Thorwin Properties invests in its rental communities, supports local organizations and quietly gets behind causes that do not always come with a ribbon, podium or photo opportunity.
Kris is not particularly interested in receiving credit for that work.
He is interested in making sure it gets done well.
His vision and forward thinking continue to challenge the people around him to raise the bar, look further ahead and keep moving Thorwin Properties forward.
65 Kirkbridge is one example of what that looks like in practice.
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.
What Is 65 Kirkbridge Drive?
65 Kirkbridge Drive at Richmond Crossing is a seven-storey, 78-suite apartment rental community in Fort Richmond, south Winnipeg.
Located near Pembina Highway and the University of Manitoba, the property offers modern rental suites in an established neighbourhood with convenient access to shopping, services, transit and major south Winnipeg destinations.
The development represents another step forward for Thorwin Properties as the company continues investing in rental housing and communities across Winnipeg.
Looking Ahead
The ribbon has been cut. The doors are open. People are moving in.
And the real story of 65 Kirkbridge Drive is only beginning.
To our community leaders, project partners and every Thorwin team member who helped bring the project 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.
Explore available apartments at 65 Kirkbridge Drive and Thorwin Properties rental communities across Winnipeg at Thorwin.ca.
