543 Granville Street

In the 1940 city directory.

In 1940, 543 Granville Street is Bower Building, with 60 suites and households listed under it. Its name section lists one person here: Casper S Ruhr, a barrister. The street section prints 32 more names the name section doesn't list: J R Atkinson, C N Shears and 30 others.

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.

33: people the 1940 directory lists here
Rebuilt in 1995: today, by the City's records

In 1940

The street section

61 linesBower Building and its suites and households, each on the page beside

The household

Casper S Ruhra barrister · lives here · suite 406p. 537

Only in the street section

J R Atkinsonphysician · suite 202p. 63
C N Shearsmanufacturers agent · suite 205p. 63
A M Glashanmanufacturers agent · suite 207p. 63
D J Tuermanufacturers agent · suite 301p. 63
J Newburymanufacturers agent · suite 305p. 63
H L M Stewartmen's clothing · suite 308p. 63
H M Fullertonfinancial agents · suite 315p. 63
J S Crawfordmassage · suite 405p. 63
G W Hobsonbarrister · suite 406p. 63
T W R Garlickcollections · suite 406p. 63
R K Hemphillmanufacturers agent · suite 407p. 63
T J Aickenmanufacturers agent · suite 408p. 63
H Dohertymanufacturers agent · suite 506p. 63
G Littlemanufacturers agent · suite 507p. 63
A G Kingcombemanufacturers agent · suite 508p. 63
H V Hellewellmanufacturers agent · suite 510p. 63
C F Trumpmanufacturers agent · suite 606p. 63
W E Bertrammanufacturers agent · suite 608p. 63
W Matoffmanufacturers agent · suite 608p. 63
J J MacKaymanufacturers agent · suite 702p. 63
T J Wattmanufacturers agent · suite 706p. 63
W J Crooksmanufacturers agent · suite 706p. 63
W E Shanemanufacturers agent · suite 710p. 63
W G Wardmanufacturers agent · suite 715p. 63
G E Bowersuite 801p. 63
H J Baileymanufacturers agent · suite 803p. 63
G H Baileymanufacturers agent · suite 803p. 63
A G Smithmanufacturers agent · suite 806p. 63
W G Dunseithmanufacturers agent · suite 807p. 63
K Bullockmanufacturers agent · suite 808p. 63
B G Longmanufacturers agent · suite 810p. 63
W D Faulafermanufacturers agent · suite 810p. 63

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

1940British Columbia and Yukon Directory

Streets

GRANVILLE

Names

Ruhr Casper S barr r406, 543 Granvillep. 537

The lines for 543 Granville 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

The building the 1940 directory knew is gone: the City dates the building at 543 now to 1995; across the street, 540 still has one from before 1946, one of five on the block.

Since 1940

1995Today's building goes up, by the City's record.
1997–1999Licensed as an apartment house (licences on record start in 1997).
2000–2010Licensed as a shop.
2014–2024Licensed as a community association.
2018A building permit for alterations, valued at $130,000 (BP-2018-02913).
2023A building permit for alterations, valued at $125,000 (BP-2023-01334).
2024A building permit for alterations, valued at $140,000 (BP-2024-01298).
2024A building permit for alterations, valued at $1,200,000 (DB-2023-03749).
2025A building permit for alterations, valued at $126,000 (BP-2025-04239).

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 500 block of Granville Street on Goad's 1912 fire insurance map, with 543 marked — The 500 block of Granville Street, between West Pender and Dunsmuir Streets, on Goad's fire insurance map of 1912; the map may print the street under an older name. The ring marks 543, placed from the City's address point today (inferred). Georectified by the City of Vancouver (Open Government Licence – Vancouver).

The 500 block in 1940

Granville Street between West Pender and Dunsmuir Streets, Downtown: 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.

Granville Street, the 500 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

The 500 block of Granville Street

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.

543 Granville Street, Downtown, Vancouver, is in the 1940 city directory. The building there today dates from 1995, by the City's record.
Source: AddressLore, addresslore.com/house/543-granville, from Vancouver's city directories (Vancouver Public Library) and City of Vancouver open data.

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The book of 543 Granville 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, 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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The City Archives search records for $25 a year searched. A hired house historian charges $300 to $550 or more.

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.