In 1982, Irv Kipnes was worth $25M when he bought the North West Trust Company. When he sold it to the government five years later, he owed them $500,000. It was a critical moment, and as Irv rebounded from this setback, so began the story of his commitment to philanthropy and rebuilding the city of Edmonton. When Irv shared this story with us, he was clear about one thing: he did not want a puff piece, nor did he see merit in excavating his complex family relationships. He wanted to share the history and the truth behind his life work, and all of the good, the bad, and the ugly that came with it.

To hook readers in, not only did this story need to stay true to a timeline, it also needed to focus on the involvement of the community and all the people who played a part in the betterment of Edmonton over the years. Our challenge was to create a rich historical record that would capture the essence of development, highlighting the creativity inherent in the industry and the ideas of the bright minds who came together to make it happen. “This is a history trip, not an ego trip.”