Vancouver / Names / S / Spier

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Spiers

In the city directories 1940 · five people at four addresses

The directories print five people named Spier 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 Spiers lived

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

    5320 Clarendon Street

    Renfrew-Collingwood, 1940

    • A T Spier, a carpenter at Woodward's 1940

    Next door in 1940: E B Munson at 5306 and P Binnie at 5348. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    5654 Commercial Street

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • A S Spier 1940

    Next door in 1940: W S Bennett at 5644 and I R McKenzie at 5664. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    2021 Manitoba Street

    Mount Pleasant, 1940

    • J A Spier, a waiter at the BC Coast Steamship Service 1940
    • Allan Spier, retired 1940

    Next door in 1940: C Pearce at 2003 and F A Elliott at 2055. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    896 West 63rd Avenue

    Marpole, 1940

    • W J Spier, a clerk at the Post Office 1940

    Next door in 1940: F J Pullen at 872. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for three of the five: a carpenter, a clerk and a waiter.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Kensington-Cedar Cottage, Marpole, Mount Pleasant and Renfrew-Collingwood. 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 T Spier at 5320 Clarendon 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 Albert T Spier there as the householder, a carpenter at Woodward's. In 1940 the directory lists A S Spier at 5654 Commercial Street. The 1940 name section lists Arthur S Spier there as the householder.

In 1940 the directory lists J A Spier at 2021 Manitoba Street. The 1940 name section lists John A Spier there as the householder, a waiter at the BC Coast Steamship Service, with Allan Spier, retired. In 1940 the directory lists W J Spier at 896 West 63rd Avenue; the 1940 line is marked * too. The 1940 name section lists William J Spier there as the householder, a clerk at the Post Office.

Today

5320 Clarendon and 896 West 63rd still have their buildings from before 1946; 5654 Commercial (1974) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 2021 Manitoba, so that building is probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 9 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 Spiers

Every directory, as one book

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