Vancouver / Names / H / Happy

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Happys

In the city directories 1940 · four people at two addresses

The directories print four people named Happy at two addresses in 1940 in two of the city's neighbourhoods. No first name or initials tie one address to the other: we can't tell if they're one family. The most under one roof: three Happys at 887 East Pender 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 Happys 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

    887 East Pender Street

    Strathcona, 1940

    • J Happy, a laborer 1940
    • Alex Happy, a paper sorter at Excelsior Paper Stock 1940
    • Michael Happy 1940

    Next door in 1940: N Luchak at 879 and A Martin at 891. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    570 West 7th Avenue

    Fairview, 1940

    • J W Happy, a laborer at Pacific Coast Pipe 1940

    Next door in 1940: S Turkington at 562 and A Jensen at 576. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for three of the four: a laborer (2) and a paper sorter.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Fairview and Strathcona. 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 Happy at 887 East Pender Street. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists John Happy there as the householder, a laborer, with Alex Happy, a paper sorter at Excelsior Paper Stock, and Michael Happy. In 1940 the directory lists J W Happy at 570 West 7th Avenue. The 1940 name section lists James W Happy there as the householder, a laborer at Pacific Coast Pipe.

Today

887 East Pender still has its building from before 1946, dated 1901 by the City's record; the City no longer lists 570 West 7th, so that building is probably gone (inferred).

Riders in costume in a Chinese parade on East Pender Street, past the Kwong Yee Lung Co.
1936–1938 Riders in costume in a Chinese parade on East Pender Street, past the Kwong Yee Lung Co.. Not at the house at 887 East Pender: no archive photo of the 800 block is known that we can show. City of Vancouver Archives, CVA 300-101. Public domain.

Every line as printed

All 6 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 Happys

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Happy 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 H. Want a name removed? Tell us.