Five households in five directories, 1915 to 1945, none of them listed twice, the first James Harkness and the last D Morrison. In 1940 the name section gives this address for Nick Ostoforoff, a caretaker at the Acadia Apartments (page 474; joined to the 1940 listing, where the first name or initials agree, inferred).
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: 1905, 1915, 1925, 1935, 1940 and 1945. The book reads the other 14 directories we hold. About $29 when orders open. The City Archives charges $25 a year searched, a house historian $300 to $550 or more.
Who lived here
Read every ten years. Each chapter is one surname at this address across the directories, so it can be more than one family; tap a name for its directory page, or follow the name to every address it's printed at. After 1945 the directories' names aren't shown.
- Not in the directory1905
- I1915
- II1925
- III1935
- IV1940
- V1945
- VIA householdnames after 1945 withheld1955
A ribbon marks the chapters the book adds to: everyone the directory's name section lists at this address that year, with their work, and the page behind every line. See what it holds, or quote this house.
- 1911
- permit to build a frame apartment house
- 5
- households named, 1915–1945
- Address gone
- today, by the City's records
The address
A permit to build a frame apartment house at 672–676 Keefer was taken out in October 1911 by Jones & Dogerty, owner and builder: $8,000. The address first appears in 1915, with James Harkness, a grocer. Miss G D Smith follows the grocer in 1925. By 1935 the Smith name has gone and Mrs E Farber, a grocer is listed, with J Farber at the same number.
N Ostoforoff follows the grocer in 1940. By 1945 the Ostoforoff name has gone and D Morrison is listed.
Also at this address in 1940, the name section lists William Ostoforoff, a carpenter (page 474). The line shares the household's surname, but no first name or initial ties it to the listing here before or after: we can't tell if it is the same family, so we keep it apart.
Today
The 1955 directory, the last we read still lists a household there, and the City's list of addresses no longer has 676 Keefer Street, so the building is probably gone (inferred). Three doors along, 658, on the heritage register, still has one from before 1946, one of five on the block.
The neighbours
The 600 block of Keefer Street, door by door, the way the directory prints it. This house is marked in red; pick a year to read who lived at every door.
Keefer Street, the 600 blockas the 1905 directory lists it, door by dooras the 1915 directory lists it, door by dooras the 1925 directory lists it, door by dooras the 1935 directory lists it, door by dooras the 1940 directory lists it, door by dooras the 1945 directory lists it, door by dooras the 1955 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)
North side, odd numbers
- 601Creech, Georgenot listednot listednot listednot listednot listednot listedmerged
- 611Fulthrop, Alfredvacant“Japanese”*Ikeno K*Ikeno KSplett M*a householdgone
- 615Parsons, R.Brown Geo“Chinese”“Orientals”Wong NornDong W Ha householdgone
- 625Adams, George R.McClelland John EKirkup S J*Evenuk P*Iwaniuk PTriska H*a householdgone
- 627Marsh FrankCrosetti JPalamow A*Kulakowski JSywulych W*a householdgone
- 631Hay, RobertHay RobtHay R“Orientals”*Hay R*Anaka J*a householdgone
- 635Bradley, JohnVanstone WmBrecknell JBrecknell J*Vanstone Woccupied, no name givena householdgone
- 643Monks, Edgar“Foreigners”not listednot listednot listednot listednot listedgone
- 647“Foreigners”McDowell SFranceschini CCavasin RCavasin R*a householdgone
- 653Tapella JosephTosey JTosi J*Kwong Soo Chow*Chow Mrs J M*a householdgone
- 659Hancock, Albert J.Gini C“Chinese”Jackson Mrs EJackson Mrs Eoccupied, no name given*a householdgone
- 661Hancock Albt Joccupied, no name givenOiye JOiye JBrubon M*a householdgone
- 673Cates, WilliamCates Wm EMookini HWakaluk J*Wakaluk J*Wakaluk J*a householdgone
- 677Smith, PeterBarker WmRabinnovitz OKosovic SLee LunSoon Fnot listedgone
South side, even numbers
- 602Tom Gregory H.McLean James DCarlson C“Orientals”*Chomyshak JChomyshak J*a householdstands
- 612Vicars, Joseph G.Vicars Joseph GJohnson Mrs A*Ellefsen A*Ellefsen EHing Mrs M*a householdstands
- 620Clandenning, John A.Fraser Alex +1Clandening J A*Clendenning M A*Bezzasso Mrs P*Bezzasso Mrs P*a householdstands
- 626Armstrong, JohnRichardson Thos“Chinese”Vollstrom DBacks Mrs E +1*Wong J*a household +1rebuilt
- 630McDougall Mrs Jessie“Chinese”“Orientals”*Mah Ging Mrs Q SLee W H*a householdstands
- 636Ang Chinese MissionGood Shepherd MissionGood Shepherd Missionmerged
- 642Eaton, JessEaton JesseEaton Jnot listednot listednot listednot listedgone
- 652Howie Miss J LWomen's Miss SocWomen's Miss SocWoman's Mission Soc*Wong Mrs J S*a householdrebuilt
- 658Inches DavidMorris M*Morris J*Minichiello J*Minichiello J*a householdstands
- 666McMeekin, John WalterLewis Mrs —Isaac S“Orientals”Kon Ko Kyo Ch +1Parker Sa householdgone
- 674Luxton RReliable Mt MktKeefer Meat MktHeikkila Ma householdgone
- 676Harkness JamesSmith Miss G DFarber Mrs E +1Ostoforoff NMorrison Da householdgone
- 5of 13
- 3of 14
- 3of 11
- 5of 15
- 5of 18
The record
Each directory's listing for this address, as printed, with its page at the Vancouver Public Library. *: some member of the family owns the property, to the best of our knowledge (the directory's own mark, printed from 1935).
Not in the directory this year.
No job on this line: the 1925 directory prints work in its name section, under Smith (near p. 175).
Wrigley-Henderson Amalgamated British Columbia Directory, p. 72
No job on this line: the 1935 directory prints work in its name section, under Farber (near p. 190).
No job on this line: the 1940 directory prints work in its name section, under Ostoforoff (near p. 470).
No job on this line: the 1945 directory prints work in its name section, under Morrison (near p. 470).
- a household
One listing. Names of residents after 1945 aren't shown; businesses and buildings are.
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.
676 Keefer Street, Strathcona, Vancouver, is in the city directories from 1915 to 1955. The City no longer lists the address.
Source: AddressLore, addresslore.com/house/676-keefer, from Vancouver's city directories (Vancouver Public Library) and City of Vancouver open data.
The history of
Strathcona, 1915–1955
The book of 676 Keefer Street
What the book adds to this page
This page, free
- Who the street section lists here, 1915–1945, and the work the 1915 and 1935 directories print beside a name
- The neighbours door by door, one year at a time
- An archive photo of Keefer Street
- The building today, and each year's page at the library
The book adds
- Each resident's work and employer, line by line from the directories' name section, and two people it lists here that the street section leaves out
- Its five households as chapters, told in our words
- The 600 block in all seven directories at once, every door
- The page behind every line, both sections, listed at the back
- One book, to read here or save as a PDF to print or give
Its contents
- The house
- Plate I, Keefer Street in an archive photo1914
- IHarkness, with everyone the name section lists1915
- IISmith, with everyone the name section lists1925
- IIIFarber, with everyone the name section lists1935
- IVOstoforoff, with everyone the name section lists1940
- Also at this address1940
- VMorrison, with everyone the name section lists1945
- After 19451955
- The 600 block, decade by decade1905–1955
- The house today
- Sources, page by page
expected, a house
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: $150 for the 6 years this house is listed. A hired house historian charges $300 to $550 or more.
See what one holds: 620 Keefer Street, 2649 Quebec Street or 2339 Yew Street, each a house's book.
Sources
Henderson's and successor city directories for Vancouver, 1905–1955, street sections, read by us line by line (Vancouver Public Library, BC City Directories); each year in the record 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. Building permit: Heritage Vancouver Society's transcription of the City's permit registers, 1901–1930 (Historical Vancouver Building Permits; search it for this address). Goad's 1912 fire insurance map doesn't print 676 on Keefer Street, so we haven't marked a lot for it: a wrong lot would be worse than none. The photo of Keefer Street: City of Vancouver Archives, public domain, credited under it. Something wrong, or a name you'd like removed? Tell us.