Vancouver / Names / T / Tong

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Tongs

In the city directories 1940 · seven people at five addresses

The directories print seven people named Tong at five addresses in 1940 in two 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 Tongs at 610 East Georgia 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 Tongs 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

    663 Cambie Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • George Tong 1940

    Next door in 1940: S Goodfellow at 659. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    535 Carrall Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Chow P Tong, proprietor of Chow Bros Market 1940

    Next door in 1940: Him Choy at 529 and “Orientals” at 537. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    610 East Georgia Street

    Strathcona, 1940

    • C T Tong, an assistant appraiser at the Customs 1940
    • Dorothy Tong, a student 1940
    • Evelyn Tong, a student 1940

    Next door in 1940: Georgia Shoe Reprg at 618. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    280 East Pender Street

    Strathcona, 1940

    • Mon Tong, a manager at C K Chop Suey 1940

    Next door in 1940: Kwong Hong Yick Co at 278 and American Cleaning at 284. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    526 Gore Avenue

    Strathcona, 1940

    • Mow Tong, of Roxy Cafe 1940

    Next door in 1940: Tuey Sun at 530. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for three of the seven: an assistant appraiser, a manager and a proprietor.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Strathcona (3) and Downtown (2). 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 George Tong at 663 Cambie Street. The 1940 name section lists Chow P Tong at 535 Carrall Street, proprietor of Chow Bros Market. In 1940 the directory lists C T Tong at 610 East Georgia 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 lists Chow Tee Tong there as the householder, an assistant appraiser at the Customs, with Dorothy Tong, a student, and Evelyn Tong, a student.

The 1940 name section lists Mon Tong at 280 East Pender Street, a manager at C K Chop Suey. The 1940 name section lists Mow Tong at 526 Gore Avenue, of Roxy Cafe.

Today

610 East Georgia still has its building from before 1946, dated 1905 by the City's record; 280 East Pender (1951) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 663 Cambie, 535 Carrall and 526 Gore, so those buildings are 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, name section, where each person's work is printed

The book of the Tongs

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Tong 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 T. Want a name removed? Tell us.