Vancouver / Names / A / Arnison

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Arnisons

In the city directories 1940 · six people at five addresses

The directories print six people named Arnison at five addresses in 1940 in four of the city's neighbourhoods. No first name or initials tie one address to another: we can't tell if they're one family.

Reserve this family's book, freeThe name in every directory we hold from 1901 to 1945, at every address, each line with its page, to read here or save as a PDF. About $29 when orders open.

Where the Arnisons lived

Each pin is on its own block, numbered as the households below. Today's land, parks, main roads and local areas: City of Vancouver Open Data (Open Government Licence – Vancouver).
  1. 1

    1743 Balaclava Street

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • Mrs M I Arnison, widow of A S 1940
    • Mary J Arnison, a chief operator at the BC Telephone 1940

    Next door in 1940: F N Brooks at 1737 and Miss L E Plewes at 1747. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    2357 East 33rd Avenue

    Renfrew-Collingwood, 1940

    • F Arnison, an upholsterer at Restwell Upholstery 1940

    Next door in 1940: Miss H Anderson at 2349 and A E Carr at 2365. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    6591 Vine Street

    Kerrisdale, 1940

    • J M Arnison, a master mariner 1940

    Next door in 1940: H S Lauder at 6579. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    3884 West 13th Avenue

    West Point Grey, 1940

    • A B Arnison, a marine engineer 1940

    Next door in 1940: M L Armour at 3880 and Mrs J Macdonald at 3896. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    1996 West 15th Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • Frances L Arnison, a maid for J A Gillespie 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs A A Porter at 1976. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for five of the six: a chief operator, a maid, a marine engineer, a master mariner and an upholsterer. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Kitsilano (2), Kerrisdale, Renfrew-Collingwood and West Point Grey. Each neighbourhood's page shows its trades, its people and every street in it, the way the directory printed them.

The story, address by address

In 1940 the directory lists Mrs M I Arnison at 1743 Balaclava Street; the 1940 line is marked *: some member of the family owns the property, to the best of our knowledge (the directory's own mark). The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Mary I Arnison there as the householder, widow of A S, with Mary J Arnison, a chief operator at the BC Telephone. In 1940 the directory lists F Arnison at 2357 East 33rd Avenue. The 1940 name section lists Frederick Arnison there as the householder, an upholsterer at Restwell Upholstery.

In 1940 the directory lists J M Arnison at 6591 Vine Street; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists James M Arnison there as the householder, a master mariner. In 1940 the directory lists A B Arnison at 3884 West 13th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Alfred B Arnison there as the householder, a marine engineer.

The 1940 name section lists Frances L Arnison at 1996 West 15th Avenue, a maid for J A Gillespie.

Today

1743 Balaclava, 6591 Vine and 3884 West 13th still have their buildings from before 1946; 2357 East 33rd (1980) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 1996 West 15th, so that building is probably gone (inferred).

Campers' cottages and tents among the trees at the foot of Balaclava Street, above the water
1910 Campers' cottages and tents among the trees at the foot of Balaclava Street, above the water. Not at the house at 1743 Balaclava: no archive photo of the 1700 block is known that we can show. City of Vancouver Archives, CVA 7-91. Public domain.

Every line as printed

All 10 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
1940

British Columbia and Yukon Directory, street section

The book of the Arnisons

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Arnison name in each Vancouver directory we hold from 1901 to 1945: everyone printed under it at every address, their work from the name sections, who lived next door, 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 family.

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

Another name, or a house

Sources

Henderson's and successor city directories for Vancouver, read by us line by line: the street sections for 1905, 1915, 1925, 1935, 1940 and 1945, and the name section for 1930 and 1940 where we've read it (Vancouver Public Library, BC City Directories). Names are shown through 1945, as printed. Close spellings are grouped, as on the house pages, since a family's name was often spelled differently from one year to the next; one name can still be several families, and we join lines only where the first names or initials agree. Many Chinese, Japanese and other residents weren't named by the canvassers, so they can't be listed by name: their houses' pages say where. More family names under A. Want a name removed? Tell us.