A family name on West 28th Avenue, Dunbar-Southlands, South Cambie, Shaughnessy and Arbutus Ridge
The McDonalds
In the city directories 1940 · four people at two addresses
The directories print four people named McDonald at two addresses in 1940, all on West 28th Avenue, with the close spellings MacDonald and Macdonald. 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 McDonalds at 3555 West 28th in 1940. 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
- 1
2933 West 28th Avenue
Dunbar-Southlands, 1940
- R B MacDonald, an assistant purser at B 1940
Next door in 1940: P A McIntyre at 2925 and W D Mitchell at 2941. The block, door by door
- 2
3555 West 28th Avenue
Dunbar-Southlands, 1940
- E MacDonald, an installation department at the BC Telephone 1940
- Gordon C MacDonald, an apprentice at the Canadian (BC) Telephone 1940
- Ruth B MacDonald, a stenographer 1940
Next door in 1940: Mrs A L Williams at 3549 and C C Ovens at 3563. The block, door by door
What they did
The name section prints a trade for all four: an apprentice, an assistant purser, an installation department and a stenographer.
Their neighbourhoods
The addresses are in Dunbar-Southlands (2). 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 R B MacDonald at 2933 West 28th Avenue; 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 Robin B MacDonald there, an assistant purser at B. In 1940 the directory lists E MacDonald at 3555 West 28th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Evander MacDonald there as the householder, an installation department at the BC Telephone, with Gordon C MacDonald, an apprentice at the Canadian (BC) Telephone, and Ruth B MacDonald, a stenographer.
Today
2933 West 28th (1973) and 3555 West 28th (2016) have newer buildings, by the City's record.
Every line as printed
All 6 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
- *MacDonald R B2933 West 28th, p. 244
- MacDonald Robin B asst purser B2933 West 28th, p. 372
- *MacDonald E3555 West 28th, p. 244
- MacDonald Evander installation dept BC Tel3555 West 28th, p. 370
- MacDonald Gordon C appr Can (BC) Tel3555 West 28th, p. 371
- MacDonald Ruth B sten3555 West 28th, p. 373
British Columbia and Yukon Directory, street section
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.
We're opening orders soon. Join the list to be first in line; we expect about $29 a family.
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.