[4] British Columbia's demographic makeup in particular was young and heavily male-skewed, with the city of Vancouver having a 3:2 ratio of men outnumbering women.

[10] Sunday laws and other societal regulations on moral conduct in saloon behaviour such as the banning of women would follow, but lingering opposition to the Temperance movement in British Columbia prevented a full prohibition.

The strain placed upon Canadian society by the First World War would prove to be the factor that tilted the debate solidly in favour of the temperance movements, albeit temporarily.

With resources normally available for the production of alcohol needed to fuel Canada's war effort temperance groups seized on the sudden political support offered to them Canada-wide.

[12] With soldier's overseas ballots forbidden from being cast, the vote would pass and in 1917 a provincial law banning the purchase of alcoholic beverages would come into effect.

By 1920 the Provincial Government, seeing alcohol once again become a political issue and seeking to avoid entanglement allowed a second vote, asking voters if they would prefer prohibition or government-controlled 'moderation' policies.

Government agents would operate stores in communities across British Columbia, offering liquor and ostensibly giving advice on moderation.

[16] Meanwhile, bootlegging to the United States had become a major economy booster for the government, as many Americans simply travelled to British Columbia to purchase alcohol, then drove it back across the border.

[18] High prices of liquor at government stores had been initially implemented both to maximise profit and to discourage excessive drinking in line with the province's mandate to moderate people's habits.

[20] Meanwhile, government stores steadily dropped their prices through the 1930s while preserving moral laws, seeing increased business by the end of the 1920s, though the Great Depression would soon see those sales reduced once again.