Vancouver / Names / N / Niven

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Nivens

In the city directories 1940 · 15 people at eleven addresses

The directories print 15 people named Niven at eleven addresses in 1940 in nine 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: three Nivens at 2912 West 34th 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 Nivens 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

    1009 Burrard Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • William Niven, a mechanic at BC Motor Transportation 1940

    Next door in 1940: St Andrews-Wesley Un Ch at 1001 and A T Harvie at 1011. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    735 East 11th Avenue

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • J J Niven, a police officer at the BC Government 1940

    Next door in 1940: J Pollock at 729 and P G Hulbert at 741. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    1136 East 26th Avenue

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • J Niven, a mounter at Vancouver Stove & Heater 1940
    • Stan J Niven, a watchman at Vancouver Stove & Heater 1940

    Next door in 1940: A Flather at 1120 and Mrs A Wilhelmsen at 1150. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    2592 East 7th Avenue

    Hastings-Sunrise, 1940

    • Allan L Niven, a foreman at BC Marine 1940

    Next door in 1940: A Muir at 2586 and G Errico at 2596. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    726 West 14th Avenue

    Fairview, 1940

    • T Niven, a foreman at BC Motor Transportation 1940
    • Janet E Niven, a stenographer at the Pacific Great Eastern Railway 1940

    Next door in 1940: C H Gray at 736. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    242 West 17th Avenue

    Riley Park, 1940

    • J Niven, a stenographer 1940

    Next door in 1940: P Moody at 228 and T B Williams at 252. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    2270 West 1st Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • James W Niven, retired 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs C Hind at 2260 and R E James at 2284. The block, door by door

  8. 8

    579 West 29th Avenue

    South Cambie, 1940

    • Sybil Niven, widow of G 1940

    Next door in 1940: E L Bradley at 571. The block, door by door

  9. 9

    2912 West 34th Avenue

    Dunbar-Southlands, 1940

    • W M Niven, an accountant 1940
    • Mattie Niven, a factory worker for Royal Crown 1940
    • Robina Niven, widow of J 1940

    Next door in 1940: H Pilling at 2902 and G J Clerihew at 2918. The block, door by door

  10. 10

    2989 West 34th Avenue

    Dunbar-Southlands, 1940

    • R M Niven, a shipper at Gough & Thompson 1940

    Next door in 1940: T M Williams at 2977 and B Gilbert at 2995. The block, door by door

  11. 11

    829 West Pender Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • W M Niven, an accountant 1940

    Next door in 1940: McDonald's Remedial Gym at 825 and Govt Liquor Store at 833. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for eleven of the 15: a foreman (2), a stenographer (2), an accountant, a factory worker, a mechanic and a mounter, among others. Some worked for the same employer: two for BC Motor Transportation and two for Vancouver Stove & Heater. Two are widows, listed under their own names.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Downtown (2), Dunbar-Southlands (2), Fairview, Hastings-Sunrise, Kensington-Cedar Cottage, Kitsilano, Mount Pleasant, Riley Park and South Cambie. 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

The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists William Niven at 1009 Burrard Street, a mechanic at BC Motor Transportation. J J Niven is listed at 735 East 11th Avenue in 1940; 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 lists James J Niven there as the householder, a police officer at the BC Government.

J Niven is listed at 1136 East 26th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists James Niven there as the householder, a mounter at Vancouver Stove & Heater, with Stan J Niven, a watchman at Vancouver Stove & Heater. The 1940 name section lists Allan L Niven at 2592 East 7th Avenue, a foreman at BC Marine.

In 1940 the directory lists T Niven at 726 West 14th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Thomas Niven there as the householder, a foreman at BC Motor Transportation, with Janet E Niven, a stenographer at the Pacific Great Eastern Railway. In 1940 the directory lists J Niven at 242 West 17th Avenue. The 1940 name section lists James Niven there as the householder, a clerk at the BC Government, with Jean W D Niven, a stenographer.

The 1940 name section lists James W Niven at 2270 West 1st Avenue, retired. The 1940 name section lists Sybil Niven at 579 West 29th Avenue, widow of G. In 1940 the directory lists W M Niven at 2912 West 34th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists William M Niven there as the householder, an accountant, with Mattie Niven, a factory worker for Royal Crown, and Robina Niven, widow of J.

In 1940 the directory lists R M Niven at 2989 West 34th Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Robert M Niven there as the householder, a shipper at Gough & Thompson. In 1940 the directory lists W M Niven, an accountant, at 829 West Pender Street.

Today

735 East 11th, 1136 East 26th, 242 West 17th and 2912 West 34th still have their buildings from before 1946; 2592 East 7th (1995), 579 West 29th (2013) and 2989 West 34th (1996) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 1009 Burrard, 726 West 14th, 2270 West 1st and 829 West Pender, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 22 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
1940

British Columbia and Yukon Directory, name section, where each person's work is printed

The book of the Nivens

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Niven 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 N. Want a name removed? Tell us.