Vancouver / Names / S / Shier

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Shiers

In the city directories 1940 · 14 people at eleven addresses

The directories print 14 people named Shier at eleven addresses in 1940 in eight of the city's neighbourhoods, with the close spelling Sohier. 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 Shiers at 796 East 13th 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 Shiers lived

Each pin is on its own block, numbered as the households below. Two addresses aren't on today's map, so they have no pin. Today's land, parks, main roads and local areas: City of Vancouver Open Data (Open Government Licence – Vancouver).
  1. 1

    5855 Balsam Street

    Kerrisdale, 1940

    • J M Shier 1940

    Next door in 1940: A L Chadbourne at 5845 and J A Corriveau at 5859. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1775 Blanca Street

    West Point Grey, 1940

    • Dr J W Shier, a physician 1940
  3. 3

    1860 Comox Street

    West End, 1940

    • Miss Shier 1940

    Next door in 1940: R H Fairbairn at 1844 and Mrs M E Anthony at 1890. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    796 East 13th Avenue

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • Mrs A Shier, widow of J H 1940
    • Lola Shier 1940
    • Winona V Shier 1940

    Next door in 1940: E C Ferguson at 776. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    1206 East 62nd Avenue

    Sunset, 1940

    • W L Sohier, a carpenter 1940

    Next door in 1940: J McMullen at 1246. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    1258 Frances Street

    Strathcona, 1940

    • W Sohier, a decorator 1940
    • Francis B Sohier, a musician 1940

    Next door in 1940: C Wall at 1250 and C H Wilsher at 1264. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    4620 Langara Avenue

    West Point Grey, 1940

    • M Shier, a manager at Canadian Industries Limited 1940

    Next door in 1940: B O Pinder at 4608 and C R Elsey at 4632. The block, door by door

  8. 8

    5870 Tyne Street

    Killarney, 1940

    • F B Sohier, a musician 1940

    Next door in 1940: C S Carter at 5866 and R Fordham at 5876. The block, door by door

  9. 9

    2735 West 10th Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • Mrs Susan E Shier, of Silver Dairy 1940

    Next door in 1940: J A Dunfee at 2725 and Mrs A J Barclay at 2745. The block, door by door

  10. 10

    3242 West 1st Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • R G Shier, retired 1940

    Next door in 1940: J M Keane at 3236 and E Tarry at 3248. The block, door by door

  11. 11

    2190 West 4th Avenue

    Kitsilano, 1940

    • Dr J W Shier, a physician 1940

    Next door in 1940: A C Giles at 2194. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for six of the 14: a musician (2), a carpenter, a decorator, a manager and a physician. One is a widow, listed under her own name.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Kitsilano (3), West Point Grey (2), Kerrisdale, Killarney, Mount Pleasant, Strathcona, Sunset and West End. 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 M Shier at 5855 Balsam Street; 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 J Mason Shier there as the householder. In 1940 the directory lists Dr J W Shier at 1775 Blanca Street; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists John W Shier there as the householder, a physician.

The 1940 name section lists Miss Shier at 1860 Comox Street. Mrs A Shier is listed at 796 East 13th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Annie Shier there as the householder, widow of J H, with Lola Shier and Winona V Shier.

W L Sohier is listed at 1206 East 62nd Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists William L Sohier there as the householder, a carpenter. W Sohier is listed at 1258 Frances Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists William Sohier there as the householder, a decorator, with Francis B Sohier, a musician.

M Shier is listed at 4620 Langara Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Morley Shier there as the householder, a manager at Canadian Industries Limited. F B Sohier is listed at 5870 Tyne Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Francis B Sohier there, a musician.

The 1940 name section lists Mrs Susan E Shier at 2735 West 10th Avenue, of Silver Dairy. In 1940 the directory lists R G Shier at 3242 West 1st Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists Robert G Shier there as the householder, retired. In 1940 the directory lists Dr J W Shier, a physician, at 2190 West 4th Avenue.

Today

796 East 13th and 2735 West 10th still have their buildings from before 1946; 1775 Blanca (1995), 1206 East 62nd (1981), 4620 Langara (2018) and 5870 Tyne (1976) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 5855 Balsam, 1860 Comox, 1258 Frances, 3242 West 1st and 2190 West 4th, 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, street section

The book of the Shiers

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Shier 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 S. Want a name removed? Tell us.