Vancouver / Names / O / Ormiston

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Ormistons

In the city directories 1940 · four people at four addresses

The directories print four people named Ormiston at four addresses in 1940 in four of the city's neighbourhoods. No first name or initials tie one address to another: we can't tell if they're one family.

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 Ormistons 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

    4570 Belmont Avenue

    West Point Grey, 1940

    • H A Ormiston, an apprentice at the Main Sheet Metal Works 1940

    Next door in 1940: F L Grantham at 4564 and A E Balmer at 4574. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1436 Comox Street

    West End, 1940

    • T Ormston 1940

    Next door in 1940: J H Shinnick at 1432 and H Hood at 1440. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    476 East 20th Avenue

    Riley Park, 1940

    • W Ormiston, a batteryman at Union Oil 1940

    Next door in 1940: F C Blott at 454. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    5133 Fairmont Street

    Renfrew-Collingwood, 1940

    • Mrs M Ormiston, widow of A 1940

    Next door in 1940: J Parnell at 5121 and F Sanday at 5139. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for two of the four: an apprentice and a batteryman. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Renfrew-Collingwood, Riley Park, West End and West Point Grey. 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 A Ormiston at 4570 Belmont 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 Herbert A Ormiston there as the householder, a master mariner, with Herbert A Ormiston Jr, an apprentice at the Main Sheet Metal Works. The 1940 name section lists T Ormston at 1436 Comox Street.

W Ormiston is listed at 476 East 20th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists William Ormiston there as the householder, a batteryman at Union Oil. Mrs M Ormiston is listed at 5133 Fairmont Street in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Minnie Ormiston there as the householder, widow of A.

Today

476 East 20th still has its building from before 1946, dated 1921 by the City's record; 4570 Belmont (2010) and 5133 Fairmont (2019) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 1436 Comox, so that building is probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 8 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 Ormistons

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Ormiston 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 O. Want a name removed? Tell us.