Vancouver / Names / B / Birnie

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Birnies

In the city directories 1940 · 15 people at eleven addresses

The directories print 15 people named Birnie at eleven addresses in 1940 in seven 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 Birnies at 2626 East 57th 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 Birnies lived

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

    4062 Beatrice Street

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • J D Birnie, a stone mason 1940

    Next door in 1940: W E Shaw at 4054 and E E Hill at 4070. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    500 Dunsmuir Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • E R Birnie 1940

    Next door in 1940: L Smith at 504. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    277 East 24th Avenue

    Riley Park, 1940

    • Murdoch Bairnie, retired 1940

    Next door in 1940: A W Rolston at 271 and N Cartmell at 285. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    2626 East 57th Avenue

    Victoria-Fraserview, 1940

    • F G Birnie, a conductor at the BC Electric Railway 1940
    • George F Birnie, a millworker at BC Plywoods 1940
    • Ruby F Birnie, who worked for Nelsons Laundries 1940

    Next door in 1940: J F Burton at 2688. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    134 Powell Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • John Birnie 1940

    Next door in 1940: W G Humphrey at 132 and Mrs H Omae at 136. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    4539 Victoria Drive

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • A G Birnie, a painter 1940

    Next door in 1940: I O O F Hall at 4521 and Mrs E De Guelle at 4551. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    5456 Vine Street

    Arbutus Ridge, 1940

    • J W Birnie, a manager at Kerrisdale Transfer 1940
    • Elizabeth H Birnie, a student at UBC 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs E G Lyon at 5444 and E S Smith at 5474. The block, door by door

  8. 8

    2645 West 12th Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • Mrs A M Birnie, widow of M M 1940
    • Bernice Birnie, a physician instructor at the BC Government 1940

    Next door in 1940: J T Sheridan at 2635. The block, door by door

  9. 9

    476 West 17th Avenue

    Riley Park, 1940

    • H G Birnie, a conductor at the BC Electric Railway 1940

    Next door in 1940: A C Forrest at 470. The block, door by door

  10. 10

    1651 West 5th Avenue

    Fairview, 1940

    • A Birnie, retired 1940

    Next door in 1940: A Karpeyicius at 1649 and H Large at 1653. The block, door by door

  11. 11

    801 West Georgia Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Mrs Edith Birnie, an agent at Sun Life 1940

    Next door in 1940: devonshire hotel at 849. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for nine of the 15: a conductor (2), an agent, an employee, a manager, a millworker and a painter, among others. Two of them worked for BC Electric Railway. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Downtown (3), Kensington-Cedar Cottage (2), Riley Park (2), Arbutus Ridge, Fairview, Kitsilano and Victoria-Fraserview. 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 J D Birnie at 4062 Beatrice 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 James D Birnie there as the householder, a stone mason. The 1940 name section lists E R Birnie at 500 Dunsmuir Street. The 1940 name section lists Murdoch Bairnie at 277 East 24th Avenue, retired.

In 1940 the directory lists F G Birnie at 2626 East 57th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Frederick G Birnie there as the householder, a conductor at the BC Electric Railway, with George F Birnie, a millworker at BC Plywoods, and Ruby F Birnie, who worked for Nelsons Laundries. The 1940 name section lists John Birnie at 134 Powell Street.

A G Birnie is listed at 4539 Victoria Drive in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Alex G Birnie there as the householder, a painter. J W Birnie is listed at 5456 Vine Street in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists John W Birnie there as the householder, a manager at Kerrisdale Transfer, with Elizabeth H Birnie, a student at UBC.

Mrs A M Birnie is listed at 2645 West 12th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Annie M Birnie there as the householder, widow of M M, with Bernice Birnie, a physician instructor at the BC Government. H G Birnie is listed at 476 West 17th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Hector G Birnie there as the householder, a conductor at the BC Electric Railway.

A Birnie is listed at 1651 West 5th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Alex Birnie there as the householder, retired. The 1940 name section lists Mrs Edith Birnie at 801 West Georgia Street, an agent at Sun Life.

Today

4062 Beatrice, 500 Dunsmuir, 277 East 24th, 2626 East 57th, 134 Powell, 4539 Victoria Drive, 2645 West 12th, 476 West 17th and 801 West Georgia still have their buildings from before 1946, 500 Dunsmuir and 801 West Georgia on the Vancouver Heritage Register; the City no longer lists 5456 Vine and 1651 West 5th, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 22 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 Birnies

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Birnie 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 B. Want a name removed? Tell us.