Vancouver / Names / D / Dafoe

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Dafoes

In the city directories 1940 · ten people at five addresses

The directories print ten people named Dafoe at five addresses in 1940 in three 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: four Dafoes at 1320 Alberni 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 Dafoes 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

    1320 Alberni Street

    West End, 1940

    • Mrs A M Dafoe, widow of V M 1940
    • Norman V Dafoe, a manager for V M Dafoe 1940
    • Robert M Dafoe, an apprentice for V M Dafoe 1940
    • William L Dafoe 1940

    Next door in 1940: R R Hedley at 1316 and J B Farquhar at 1324. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1624 Alberni Street

    West End, 1940

    • Mrs A M Dafoe, widow of L 1940
    • Mary E Dafoe, a stenographer at the Canadian Government 1940
    • Richard R Dafoe, an accountant 1940

    Next door in 1940: J Rowell at 1616 and W J Donovan at 1630. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1642 Alberni Street

    West End, 1940

    • John W Dafoe, a stenographer at Western Oil & Supplies 1940

    Next door in 1940: W J Scott at 1640 and N E H Shrimpton at 1646. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    1472 Charles Street

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • H R Dafoe, proprietor of the Roxboro Apartments 1940

    Next door in 1940: Van Trunk & Bag at 1424. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    1336 West 14th Avenue

    Fairview, 1940

    • Leo Dafoe 1940

    Next door in 1940: Miss W Ney at 1330 and A Robertson at 1340. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for six of the ten: a stenographer (2), an accountant, an apprentice, a manager and a proprietor. Two of them worked for V M Dafoe. Two are widows, listed under their own names.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in West End (3), Fairview 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 Mrs A M Dafoe at 1320 Alberni 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 Ada M Dafoe there as the householder, widow of V M, with Norman V Dafoe, a manager for V M Dafoe, Robert M Dafoe, an apprentice for V M Dafoe, and William L Dafoe.

In April 1910 J R Dafoe took out the permit to build a frame house at 1624 Alberni Street. In 1940 the directory lists Mrs A M Dafoe at 1624 Alberni Street; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Arvilla M Dafoe there as the householder, widow of L, with Mary E Dafoe, a stenographer at the Canadian Government, and Richard R Dafoe, an accountant. The 1940 name section lists John W Dafoe at 1642 Alberni Street, a stenographer at Western Oil & Supplies.

H R Dafoe is listed at 1472 Charles Street in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists H Ross Dafoe there as the householder, proprietor of the Roxboro Apartments. The 1940 name section lists Leo Dafoe at 1336 West 14th Avenue.

Today

1472 Charles still has its building from before 1946, dated 1913 by the City's record; 1336 West 14th (1959) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 1320 Alberni, 1624 Alberni and 1642 Alberni, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 13 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 Dafoes

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Dafoe 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 D. Want a name removed? Tell us.