In 1940, 1686 West 12th Avenue is The Evelyn, an apartment building, with six suites and households listed under it. Its name section lists seven people here: Jack M Brown, a trader; Frederick W Gosse, proprietor of The Evelyn and a building mover; and five others.
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- 7
- people the 1940 directory lists here
- *
- some member of the family owns the property, to the best of the directory's knowledge, in 1940
- Rebuilt in 1968
- today, by the City's records
In 1940
The street section
- The Evelynapartmentsp. 208
- L F Gossesuite Ap. 208
- G W Thomsonsuite 1p. 208
- J M Brownsuite 2p. 208
- F W Gossebuilding mover · suite 3 · marked *p. 208
- R F Ridgewellsuite 4p. 208
- Miss D Jaggersuite 6p. 208
The household
- Jack M Browna trader · householder · suite 2p. 73
- Frederick W Gosseproprietor of The Evelyn and a building mover · suite 3p. 231
- Lloyd F Gossewho worked for F W Gosse · householder · suite Ap. 231
- Della Jaggera stenographer at Children's Aid · householder · suite 6p. 299
- Richard F Ridgewella cutter for Gordon Campbell · householder · suite 4p. 520
- Gordon W Thomsona department manager at Spencer's Model Market · householder · suite 1p. 611
Also under the Gosse name
- Don W Gossea clerk at Canadian Pacific Steamships · lives here · suite 3p. 231
West 12th Avenue is read from the 1940 directory, street section and name section, line by line.
1940British Columbia and Yukon Directory
Streets
WEST 12TH
- 1686Evelyn (The) aptsp. 208
- 1686AGosse L Fp. 208
- 16861Thomson G Wp. 208
- 16862Brown J Mp. 208
- 16863*Gosse F W bldg moverp. 208
- 16864Ridgewell R Fp. 208
- 16866Jagger Miss Dp. 208
Names
- Brown Jack M trader h2, 1686 West 12thp. 73
- Gosse Fredk W prop The Evelyn and bldg mover 3, 1686 West 12thp. 231
- Gosse Lloyd F emp F W Gosse hA, 1686 West 12thp. 231
- Jagger Della sten Children's Aid h6, 1686 West 12thp. 299
- Ridgewell Richd F ctr Gordon Campbell h4, 1686 West 12thp. 520
- Thomson Gordon W dept mgr Spencers Model Mkt h1, 1686 West 12thp. 611
- Gosse Don W clk CPSS r3, 1686 West 12thp. 231
The building today
The building the 1940 directory knew is gone: the City dates the building at 1686 now to 1968; the 1600 block of West 12th Avenue keeps no building from before 1946; the nearest of its old addresses still on the City's list is 1675, with a building from 1953.
Since 1940
- 1968Today's building goes up, by the City's record.
From City of Vancouver open data (Open Government Licence – Vancouver): the property tax report (BC Assessment's years, approximate for old buildings), business licences from 1997 (the kind of business only), issued building permits from 2017 and the heritage register.
The 1600 block in 1940
West 12th Avenue between Fir and Pine Streets, Fairview: every door the 1940 directory lists on the block, the way it prints them, and what stands at each today. This house is marked in red.
West 12th Avenue, the 1600 blockas the 1940 directory lists it, door by door, and what stands there today
*: some member of the family owns the property, to the best of our knowledge (the directory's own mark, printed from 1935)
North side, odd numbers
Quote this house
One line with its source, for a listing, a talk or a family tree. A link to this page shows the card below wherever it's shared.
1686 West 12th Avenue, Fairview, Vancouver, is in the 1940 city directory. The building there today dates from 1968, by the City's record.
Source: AddressLore, addresslore.com/house/1686-west-12th-avenue, from Vancouver's city directories (Vancouver Public Library) and City of Vancouver open data.
The book of 1686 West 12th Avenue
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The book reads this address in each Vancouver directory we hold from 1901 to 1945: who lived here year by year, their work from the name sections, the block around it, and the page behind every line, to read here or save as a PDF to print or give.
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Sources
The 1940 city directory (British Columbia and Yukon Directory), street and name sections, read by us line by line (Vancouver Public Library, BC City Directories); each line above links its page. Today's buildings: City of Vancouver Open Data (property tax report 2026, property addresses, Vancouver Heritage Register; Open Government Licence – Vancouver). The City's year built is BC Assessment's figure and can be approximate for old houses. Something wrong, or a name you'd like removed? Tell us.