A family name in Vancouver's city directories
The Toftses
In the city directories 1940 · one person at one address
The directories print one person named Tofts at one address, 5889 Commercial Street in Victoria-Fraserview, 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.
The Toftses at home
- 1
5889 Commercial Street
Victoria-Fraserview, 1940
- J Tofts, a carpenter 1940
Next door in 1940: A Vaugeois at 5871 and W J Foss at 5897. The block, door by door
What they did
The name section prints a trade for the one person: a carpenter.
Their neighbourhoods
The address is in Victoria-Fraserview. 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 Tofts at 5889 Commercial 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 James Tofts there as the householder, a carpenter.
Today
5889 Commercial (1983) has a newer building, by the City's record.

Every line as printed
All 2 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
- *Tofts J5889 Commercial, p. 34
- Tofts Jas carp5889 Commercial, p. 614
British Columbia and Yukon Directory, street section
The book of the Toftses
Every directory, as one book
The family book reads the Tofts 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 T. Want a name removed? Tell us.