Walter Destow Vance was born in Paisley, Bruce County, Ontario in September 1881. He arrived in Prince Rupert in 1910 from Edmonton and became the city's first treasurer, opening the first books for the city in April 1910, one month after the city was incorporated. In Vancouver, on March 6, 1912, he married Irene McIntosh, born at Indian Head, Saskatchewan to David and Minnie (Carson) McIntosh. Walter and Irene had two children, Muriel and Allan "Bill" Destow, both born in Prince Rupert. Walter was appointed secretary of the school board in 1911, appointed magistrate in 1936, was head of the hospital board, a member of the Tsimpsean Lodge No. 58, the Prince Rupert Rotary Club, and the Presbyterian Church. Irene opened Vance's Home Arts on 3rd Avenue West in 1936. Muriel married Murray Rhodes, lived in Vancouver, and later returned to Prince Rupert to run Vance's Home Arts. Bill attended the University of Alberta and the University of British Columbia. He joined the Royal Canadian Artillery at the onset of the Second World War, and was discharged in 1945 with the rank of Captain. He married his wife Dorothy in England in 1945 and the couple had two children, Michael and David. Bill worked for B.C. Packers in Prince Rupert and Vancouver, managed Albert & McCaffery Ltd., joined Phillpot & Evitt in 1952, and was also the manager of Kitimat Builders Supply. He died on August 12, 1962 at age 47 after a car accident while driving to Kitimat for a meeting. Walter died in Prince Rupert on March 25, 1963 at age 81, Irene died on August 27, 1976 at age 89, and Muriel died on June 17, 1981 at age 68. For many years Walter and Irene lived at 2155 Graham Avenue and Muriel moved into the house after her mother's death.