Vancouver / West Hastings Street / Downtown

Downtown, Vancouver

640 West Hastings Street

In the 1940 city directory.

In 1940, 640 West Hastings Street is Commerce Building, with 24 suites and households listed under it. Its name section lists one person here: Alex Henderson, a barrister. The street section prints eleven more names the name section doesn't list: C L Gladman, Windsor Homes and nine others. Its name section 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.

13
people the 1940 directory lists here, one of them named in the book
Address gone
today, by the City's records

In 1940

The street section

  • 25 linesCommerce Building and its suites and households, each on the page beside

The household

  • Alex Hendersona barrister · suite 24p. 266

Only in the street section

  • C L Gladmantimber broker · suite 22p. 79
  • Windsor Homesbuilding contractors · suite 23p. 79
  • Woodland Villasreal estate · suite 23p. 79
  • H E M Bradshawbarrister · suite 24p. 79
  • R G McCuishsuite 42p. 79
  • Imperial Lifesuite 48p. 79
  • A Securities Binsurance · suite 51p. 79
  • J Blacksuite 51p. 79
  • Mrs E De Longinsurance agent · suite 51p. 79
  • C Darlingbarrister · suite 56p. 79
  • Canada Life6th floorp. 79

Also at this address

  • One more personunder another surname, with their work: in the book

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

1940British Columbia and Yukon Directory

Streets

WEST HASTINGS

  1. 640Commerce Buildingp. 79
  2. 640Can Bk of Com (Savings Dept)p. 79
  3. 64011Hedley Peak Gold Minesp. 79
  4. 64011Hedley Gold Lode Minesp. 79
  5. 64011Fuel Conserving Cop. 79
  6. 64017White Pass & Yukon Routep. 79
  7. 64022Gladman C L tbr brokerp. 79
  8. 64023Windsor Homes bldg contrsp. 79
  9. 64023Sunset Pac Corpn real estp. 79
  10. 64023Woodland Villas real estp. 79
  11. 64024Henderson A barrp. 79
  12. 64024Bradshaw H E M barrp. 79
  13. 64038Genl Ins Agcies Ltdp. 79
  14. 64038Casualty Co of Canp. 79
  15. 64038Dom of Can Genl Insp. 79
  16. 64042McCuish R G (office)p. 79
  17. 64048Imperial Lifep. 79
  18. 64051B A Securities insp. 79
  19. 64051Black J (office)p. 79
  20. 64051Royal Financial Insp. 79
  21. 64051Term Agcy ins agtsp. 79
  22. 64051Darling H & Co Ltd ins agtsp. 79
  23. 64051De Long Mrs E ins agtp. 79
  24. 64056Darling C barrp. 79
  25. 6406th flCanada Lifep. 79

Names

  1. Henderson Alex barr 24, 640 West Hastingsp. 266
The lines for 640 West Hastings 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 City's list of addresses no longer has 640 West Hastings Street, so the building is probably gone (inferred); the nearest that still stands is 675, on the other side of the street, one of two on the block.

The 600 block in 1940

West Hastings Street between Seymour and Granville 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.

West Hastings Street, the 600 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)

The 600 block of West Hastings 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.

640 West Hastings Street, Downtown, Vancouver, is in the 1940 city directory. The City no longer lists the address.

Source: AddressLore, addresslore.com/house/640-west-hastings, from Vancouver's city directories (Vancouver Public Library) and City of Vancouver open data.

Download the share card

The share card for 640 West Hastings Street

The book of 640 West Hastings 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. Something wrong, or a name you'd like removed? Tell us.