Charles F Stephens, a salesman at Patrick Wood & Coal, headed a household at 5553 Bruce Street in 1940 that the directory marks as owning it. Its name section lists two more people here: Francis P Stephens and Gladys M Stephens.
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.
- 3
- 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 2020
- today, by the City's records
In 1940
The household
- Charles F Stephensa salesman at Patrick Wood & Coal · householderp. 584
Also under the Stephens name
Bruce Street is read from the 1940 directory, street section and name section, line by line.
1940British Columbia and Yukon Directory
Streets
BRUCE
Names
The house today
The building the 1940 directory knew is gone: the City dates the building at 5553 now to 2020; the nearest that still stands is 5522, on the other side of the street, the only one on the block.
Since 1940
- 1965A major renovation, by BC Assessment's record.
- 2020A building permit for a new building, valued at $709,750 (DB-2020-00011).
- 2020A building permit for a new building, valued at $162,250 (DB-2020-00014).
- 2020A building permit for demolition, valued at $15,000 (DB-2020-00012).
- 2020Today'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 5500 block in 1940
Bruce Street, on the stretch it shares with the 5600 block, between East 39th and East 41st Avenues, Kensington-Cedar Cottage: 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.
Bruce Street, the 5500 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
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.
5553 Bruce Street, Kensington-Cedar Cottage, Vancouver, is in the 1940 city directory. The building there today dates from 2020, by the City's record.
Source: AddressLore, addresslore.com/house/5553-bruce, from Vancouver's city directories (Vancouver Public Library) and City of Vancouver open data.
The book of 5553 Bruce 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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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.