Vancouver / Names / B / Bisson

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Bissons

In the city directories 1940 · seven people at seven addresses

The directories print seven people named Bisson at seven 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 Bissons 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

    1220 Barclay Street

    West End, 1940

    • Joseph A Bisson, a meat cutter at the St Paul's Hospital 1940

    Next door in 1940: snowdon apts at 1234. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1081 Burrard Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Andre Bisson, a janitor at the St Paul's Hospital 1940

    Next door in 1940: A Lloyd at 1055. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    6084 Chester Street

    Sunset, 1940

    • P J Bisson, a waiter at the Georgia Hotel 1940

    Next door in 1940: G A Bennett at 6094. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    505 East 50th Avenue

    Sunset, 1940

    • Annie E Bisson, widow of J 1940

    Next door in 1940: J W V Bishop at 515. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    718 Granville Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • R D A Bisson, a physician 1940

    Next door in 1940: Birks H & Sons (BC) Ltd at 710 and scott's cafe at 722. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    955 Thurlow Street

    West End, 1940

    • Dr R D A Bisson, a physician 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs I Esch at 921 and H Aird at 989. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    1984 West 42nd Avenue

    Kerrisdale, 1940

    • A W Bisson, a manufacturers agent 1940

    Next door in 1940: S W Taylor at 1976 and Dr H G Baker at 1992. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for five of the seven: a janitor, a manufacturers agent, a meat cutter, a physician and a waiter. Two of them worked for St Paul's Hospital. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Downtown (2), Sunset (2), West End (2) and Kerrisdale. 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

The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Joseph A Bisson at 1220 Barclay Street, a meat cutter at the St Paul's Hospital. The 1940 name section lists Andre Bisson at 1081 Burrard Street, a janitor at the St Paul's Hospital. In 1940 the directory lists P J Bisson at 6084 Chester 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 lists Percy J Bisson there as the householder, a waiter at the Georgia Hotel.

The 1940 name section lists Annie E Bisson at 505 East 50th Avenue, widow of J. R D A Bisson, a physician, is listed at 718 Granville Street in 1940. In 1940 the directory lists Dr R D A Bisson at 955 Thurlow Street. The 1940 name section lists Russell D A Bisson there as the householder, a physician.

In 1940 the directory lists A W Bisson at 1984 West 42nd Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Alfred W Bisson there as the householder, a manufacturers agent.

Today

1081 Burrard, 6084 Chester and 955 Thurlow still have their buildings from before 1946, 1081 Burrard on the Vancouver Heritage Register; 1220 Barclay (1987) and 505 East 50th (1961) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 718 Granville and 1984 West 42nd, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

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, name section, where each person's work is printed

The book of the Bissons

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Bisson 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.