Vancouver / Names / B / Blain

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Blains

In the city directories 1940 · 16 people at ten addresses

The directories print 16 people named Blain at ten addresses in 1940 in six of the city's neighbourhoods, with the close spelling Blaine. 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 Blains at 2553 Dundas 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 Blains 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

    1902 Charles Street

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • J Blaine, a grocer 1940
    • Mary T Blaine, a student 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs E Olsen at 1920. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    2553 Dundas Street

    Hastings-Sunrise, 1940

    • J Blain, who worked for the BC Telephone 1940
    • Constance Blain 1940
    • Vera Blain 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs E A Smith at 2547. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    828 Dunsmuir Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Blain 1940
    • Blain 1940

    Next door in 1940: Angelus Conf at 832. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    2960 Turner Street

    Hastings-Sunrise, 1940

    • L B Blain 1940

    Next door in 1940: J Imlah at 2954 and T H Moreton at 2984. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    2975 Turner Street

    Hastings-Sunrise, 1940

    • L B Blain, a purchasing agent at Lawrence Manufacturing 1940

    Next door in 1940: J Mason at 2957. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    1302 Victoria Drive

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • J Blaine, a grocer 1940

    Next door in 1940: C W Bacon at 1306. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    4477 Walden Street

    Riley Park, 1940

    • Nevina Blaine 1940

    Next door in 1940: A Allwood at 4467 and G Randazzo at 4483. The block, door by door

  8. 8

    2240 Waterloo Street

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • A Blain, who worked for the Shaughnessy Hospital Canadian Government 1940
    • Dorothy H Blain 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs E M Cummins at 2230. The block, door by door

  9. 9

    801 West Georgia Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Mrs M Blain 1940

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

  10. 10

    3110 Willow Street

    Fairview, 1940

    • J W Blain, a machinist at the BC Electric Railway 1940
    • Irene M Blain, a stenographer 1940

What they did

The name section prints a trade for five of the 16: an employee, a grocer, a machinist, a purchasing agent and a stenographer.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Hastings-Sunrise (3), Downtown (2), Grandview-Woodland (2), Fairview, Kitsilano and Riley Park. 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 July 1922 John Blaine took out the permit to build a store at 1902 Charles Street. In 1940 the directory lists J Blaine at 1902 Charles Street. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists John Blaine there as the householder, a grocer, with Mary T Blaine, a student.

In 1940 the directory lists J Blain at 2553 Dundas 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 John Blain there as the householder, who worked for the BC Telephone, with Constance Blain and Vera Blain. In 1940 the directory lists Blain at 828 Dunsmuir Street. The 1940 name section lists Blain there as the householder.

In 1940 the directory lists L B Blain at 2960 Turner Street. L B Blain is listed at 2975 Turner Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Lorne B Blain there as the householder, a purchasing agent at Lawrence Manufacturing. J Blaine, a grocer, is listed at 1302 Victoria Drive in 1940.

The 1940 name section lists Nevina Blaine at 4477 Walden Street. A Blain is listed at 2240 Waterloo Street in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Amos Blain there as the householder, who worked for the Shaughnessy Hospital Canadian Government, with Dorothy H Blain. The 1940 name section lists Mrs M Blain at 801 West Georgia Street.

In 1940 the directory lists J W Blain at 3110 Willow Street; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists James W Blain there as the householder, a machinist at the BC Electric Railway, with Irene M Blain, a stenographer.

Today

1902 Charles, 2553 Dundas, 2975 Turner, 4477 Walden, 2240 Waterloo and 801 West Georgia still have their buildings from before 1946, 801 West Georgia on the Vancouver Heritage Register; 2960 Turner (1989) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 828 Dunsmuir, 1302 Victoria Drive and 3110 Willow, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 21 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 Blains

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Blain 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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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.