In 1940, 1898 Balsam Street is The Arbor, an apartment building, with seven suites and households listed under it. Its name section lists eleven people here: Gordon W Barr, on active service; Thorsten E Carlson, a mechanic at Western Steel Products; and nine others. It lists one more person here under another surname too.
Reserve this house's book, freeIts history in every directory we hold from 1901 to 1945, each line with its page, to read here or save as a PDF. Read for this address so far: 1940. The book reads the other 19 directories we hold. About $29 when orders open. The City Archives charges $25 a year searched, a house historian $300 to $550 or more.
- 12
- people the 1940 directory lists here, one of them named in the book
- Rebuilt in 1961
- today, by the City's records
In 1940
The street section
- The Arborapartmentsp. 8
- G W Barrsuite 1p. 8
- E Hopesuite 1p. 8
- Miss M MacFarlanesuite 2Ap. 8
- Miss M E Marshallsaysuite 2Bp. 8
- Mrs E P Jacksuite 4p. 8
- Mrs J B Kerrsuite 5Ap. 8
- T E Carlsonsuite 5Bp. 8
The household
- Gordon W Barron active service · householder · suite 1p. 32
- Thorsten E Carlsona mechanic at Western Steel Products · lives here · suite 5Bp. 98
- Edwin Hopea caretaker at The Arbor · householder · suite 1p. 280
- Elizabeth P Jackwidow of W · householder · suite 4p. 298
- Mrs J B Kerrhouseholder · suite 5Ap. 321
- Mary McFarlanea musician · householder · suite 2Ap. 375
- Mabel E Marshallsaya secretary at the Anglican Synod Office · householder · suite 2Bp. 415
Also under the Hope name
- Reginald E Hopea radio operator · lives here · suite 1p. 281
- Stan G Hopean artist at Bulman Bros · lives here · suite 3p. 281
- Elizabeth D Jacka school teacher · lives here · suite 4p. 298
- Kath Kerra clerk at the BC Electric Railway · lives here · suite 5Ap. 321
Also at this address
- One more personunder another surname, with their work: in the book
Balsam Street is read from the 1940 directory, street section and name section, line by line.
1940British Columbia and Yukon Directory
Streets
BALSAM
- 1898Arbor (The) aptsp. 8
- 18981Barr G Wp. 8
- 18981Hope Ep. 8
- 18982AMacFarlane Miss Mp. 8
- 18982BMarshallsay Miss M Ep. 8
- 18984Jack Mrs E Pp. 8
- 18985AKerr Mrs J Bp. 8
- 18985BCarlson T Ep. 8
Names
- Barr Gordon W act serv h1, 1898 Balsamp. 32
- Carlson Thorsten E mech Western Steel Prods r5B, 1898 Balsamp. 98
- Hope Edwin caretkr The Arbor h1, 1898 Balsamp. 280
- Jack Eliz P wid W h4, 1898 Balsamp. 298
- Kerr Mrs J B h5A, 1898 Balsamp. 321
- McFarlane Mary musician h2A, 1898 Balsamp. 375
- Marshallsay Mabel E sec Ang Synod Office h2B, 1898 Balsamp. 415
- Hope Regd E radio opr r1, 1898 Balsamp. 281
- Hope Stan G artist Bulman Bros r3, 1898 Balsamp. 281
- Jack Eliz D sch tchr Van City r4, 1898 Balsamp. 298
- Kerr Kath clk BCER r5A, 1898 Balsamp. 321
The building today
A newer building, dated 1961 by the City, has the address now: the wood-frame building Goad's 1912 map draws here is gone, replaced after the 1940 directory.
Since 1940
- 1961Today's building goes up, by the City's record.
- 1997–2024Licensed as an apartment house (licences on record start in 1997).
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 1800 block in 1940
Balsam Street between West 2nd and West 3rd Avenues, Kitsilano: 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.
Balsam Street, the 1800 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)
West side, odd numbers
East side, even 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.
1898 Balsam Street, Kitsilano, Vancouver, is in the 1940 city directory. The building there today dates from 1961, by the City's record.
Source: AddressLore, addresslore.com/house/1898-balsam, from Vancouver's city directories (Vancouver Public Library) and City of Vancouver open data.

The book of 1898 Balsam Street
Every directory, as one book
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, with the one person here in 1940 under another surname whom this page doesn't name, 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. The 1912 plate: Goad's Fire Insurance Map, georectified by the City of Vancouver. Something wrong, or a name you'd like removed? Tell us.