Vancouver / Names / M / McDonald / Commercial Drive

A family name on Commercial Drive, Grandview-Woodland and Kensington-Cedar Cottage

The McDonalds

In the city directories 1940 · three people at three addresses

The directories print three people named McDonald at three addresses in 1940, all on Commercial Drive, with the close spellings MacDonald and Macdonald. No first name or initials tie one address to another: we can't tell if they're one family. The directories print the name on 231 other streets too, all listed on the McDonald name's own page.

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 McDonalds 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

    631 Commercial Drive

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • A M Macdonald 1940

    Next door in 1940: oban apts at 633. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1110 Commercial Drive

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • D W F McDonald 1940

    Next door in 1940: L D Thorpe at 1108 and Harmony Conf at 1112. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1524 Commercial Drive

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • Dr J McK Macdonald 1940

    Next door in 1940: H G Bufton at 1520 and W R Sparks at 1526. The block, door by door

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Grandview-Woodland (3). 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 A M Macdonald at 631 Commercial Drive. D W F McDonald is listed at 1110 Commercial Drive in 1940. In 1940 the directory lists Dr J McK Macdonald at 1524 Commercial Drive.

Today

The City no longer lists 631 Commercial Drive, 1110 Commercial Drive and 1524 Commercial Drive, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

The staff of Duke's Grocery in their aprons and coats outside the store at 1588 Commercial Drive
1920 The staff of Duke's Grocery in their aprons and coats outside the store at 1588 Commercial Drive. Not at the house at 631 Commercial Drive: no archive photo of the 600 block is known that we can show. City of Vancouver Archives, CVA 99 - 3274. Public domain.

Every line as printed

All 3 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.

The book of the McDonalds

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the McDonald 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 M. Want a name removed? Tell us.