Vancouver / Names / G / Gann

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Ganns

In the city directories 1940 · seven people at four addresses

The directories print seven people named Gann at four addresses in 1940 in three of the city's neighbourhoods, with the close spelling Gan. 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 Ganns at 1800 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 Ganns 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

    1800 Alberni Street

    West End, 1940

    • H T Gann, who worked for Spencer's 1940
    • Esme N Gann, an usher at the Capitol Theatre 1940
    • Eugene Gann, an apprentice at Economy Sausage 1940

    Next door in 1940: D Milligan at 1816. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    321 North Kootenay Street

    Hastings-Sunrise, 1940

    • Mrs A M Gann, widow of A C 1940
    • Dorothy R Gann, a student 1940

    Next door in 1940: R Williamsen at 341. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    3450 Oxford Street

    Hastings-Sunrise, 1940

    • A T Gann, a warehouseman at J Fyfe-Smith 1940

    Next door in 1940: H Long at 3442 and D A Kay at 3454. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    15 West Pender Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Joe Gan 1940

    Next door in 1940: “Orientals” at 13 and “Orientals” at 17. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for four of the seven: an apprentice, an employee, an usher and a warehouseman. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Hastings-Sunrise (2), Downtown and West End. 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 H T Gann at 1800 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 Harman T Gann there as the householder, who worked for Spencer's, with Esme N Gann, an usher at the Capitol Theatre, and Eugene Gann, an apprentice at Economy Sausage. In 1940 the directory lists Mrs A M Gann at 321 North Kootenay Street; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Ada M Gann there as the householder, widow of A C, with Dorothy R Gann, a student.

In 1940 the directory lists A T Gann at 3450 Oxford Street; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Arthur T Gann there as the householder, a warehouseman at J Fyfe-Smith. In 1940 the directory lists Joe Gan at 15 West Pender Street.

Today

321 North Kootenay and 3450 Oxford still have their buildings from before 1946; the City no longer lists 1800 Alberni and 15 West Pender, 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, street section

The book of the Ganns

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Gann 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 G. Want a name removed? Tell us.