Vancouver / Alexander Street / Strathcona

Strathcona, Vancouver

220 Alexander Street

In the 1940 city directory.

In 1940, 220 Alexander Street is Chemainus Tow Co, with four suites and households listed under it. Its name section lists one person here: Masaharu Chiba, in bean cakes. It lists 38 more people here under other surnames 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.

39
people the 1940 directory lists here, 38 of them named in the book
Still standing
today, by the City's records
1927
the year built, by the City's record

In 1940

The street section

  • Chemainus Tow Cop. 4
  • Commodore Tow Cop. 4
  • Preston-Mann Tow Cop. 4
  • Young & Gore Tugboatp. 4
  • M Chibarearp. 4

The household

  • Masaharu Chibain bean cakesp. 108

Also at this address

  • 38 more peopleunder other surnames, with each one's work: in the book

Alexander Street is read from the 1940 directory, street section and name section, line by line.

1940British Columbia and Yukon Directory

Streets

ALEXANDER

  1. 220Chemainus Tow Cop. 4
  2. 220Commodore Tow Cop. 4
  3. 220Preston-Mann Tow Cop. 4
  4. 220Young & Gore Tugboatp. 4
  5. 220rearChiba Mp. 4

Names

  1. Chiba Masaharu bean cakes rr 206 Main h rr 220 Alexanderp. 108
The lines for 220 Alexander Street in the 1940 directory, as we read them, with its abbreviations; each opens its page at the Vancouver Public Library. The name section prints h for a householder and r for someone who lives at the address.

The building today

220 Alexander Street still has a building from before 1946, one of two on the block; the City dates it to 1927, after the 1912 map, so it may have replaced the wood-frame building drawn there (inferred). A permit to build a store was taken out in June 1927 by Preston Mann Touring Co: builder Day labour, $4,000.

Since 1940

  1. 1960A major renovation, by BC Assessment's record.
  2. 1997–2024Licensed as a workshop or warehouse (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 200 block of Alexander Street on Goad's 1912 fire insurance map, with 220 marked
The 200 block of Alexander Street, on the stretch it shares with the 100 and 300 blocks, between Columbia Street and Dunlevy Avenue, on Goad's fire insurance map of 1912; the map may print the street under an older name. The ring marks 220, placed from the City's address point today (inferred). The 1912 map draws two buildings on the lot at 220; the one the ring marks is wood-frame. Georectified by the City of Vancouver (Open Government Licence – Vancouver).

The 200 block in 1940

Alexander Street, on the stretch it shares with the 100 and 300 blocks, between Columbia Street and Dunlevy Avenue, Strathcona: 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.

Alexander Street, the 200 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)

Alexander Street, block by block

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.

220 Alexander Street, Strathcona, Vancouver, is in the 1940 city directory. A building from before 1946 still stands there: the City's record gives 1927 as the year built.

Source: AddressLore, addresslore.com/house/220-alexander, from Vancouver's city directories (Vancouver Public Library) and City of Vancouver open data.

Download the share card

The share card for 220 Alexander Street

The book of 220 Alexander 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 38 people here in 1940 under other surnames 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.

We're opening orders soon. Join the list to be first in line; we expect about $29 a house.

The City Archives search records for $25 a year searched. A hired house historian charges $300 to $550 or more.

One email, when it's ready. We use your email for nothing else and never share it. Privacy

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. Building permit: Heritage Vancouver Society's transcription of the City's permit registers, 1901–1930 (Historical Vancouver Building Permits; search it for this address). Something wrong, or a name you'd like removed? Tell us.