Vancouver / Names / B / Backie

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Backies

In the city directories 1940 · six people at four addresses

The directories print six people named Backie at four addresses in 1940 in two of the city's neighbourhoods. No first name or initials tie one address to another: we can't tell if they're one family. The most under one roof: three Backies at 581 East 48th in 1940.

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 Backies lived

Each pin is on its own block, numbered as the households below. One address isn't on today's map, so it has no pin. Today's land, parks, main roads and local areas: City of Vancouver Open Data (Open Government Licence – Vancouver).
  1. 1

    440 East 48th Avenue

    Sunset, 1940

    • D S Backie, a master mariner at North West Towing 1940

    Next door in 1940: H Radke at 436 and E F Arnatt at 446. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    581 East 48th Avenue

    Sunset, 1940

    • A Backie, a fisherman 1940
    • Elizabeth Backie, an examiner at the Jantzen Knit Mills 1940
    • Mary E Backie, a saleswoman for J R McPherson 1940

    Next door in 1940: F G F Cannon at 565. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    2226 Oxford Street

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • Earl Backie, of Western Chemical 1940

    Next door in 1940: J H Hellard at 2216 and Mrs M Richards at 2230. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    6415 Prince Albert Street

    Sunset, 1940

    • G J Backie, a yardman at Baird & Co 1940

    Next door in 1940: C S Digby at 6405 and A F Smith at 6425. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for five of the six: an examiner, a fisherman, a master mariner, a saleswoman and a yardman.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Sunset (3) and Grandview-Woodland. 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 D S Backie at 440 East 48th Avenue; 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 Daniel S Backie there as the householder, a master mariner at North West Towing. In 1940 the directory lists A Backie at 581 East 48th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Alex Backie there as the householder, a fisherman, with Elizabeth Backie, an examiner at the Jantzen Knit Mills, and Mary E Backie, a saleswoman for J R McPherson.

The 1940 name section lists Earl Backie at 2226 Oxford Street, of Western Chemical. G J Backie is listed at 6415 Prince Albert Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Gilbert J Backie there as the householder, a yardman at Baird & Co.

Today

440 East 48th and 581 East 48th still have their buildings from before 1946; 6415 Prince Albert (1993) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 2226 Oxford, so that building is probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 9 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 Backies

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Backie 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.

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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 B. Want a name removed? Tell us.