The early success was attributed to being sponsored by Imperial Oil (for which the team was named and logo stylized after) during the Great Depression.

Imperial Oil's involvement and offering of well-paying petrochemical industry jobs to players meant the team could attract high-quality talent.

However, the Imperials lost a low-scoring affair, falling 4–3 to the Toronto Argonauts in the lowest scoring Grey Cup game to date.

[3] The team reversed their fortunes the next year, as they returned to the Dominion championship and came out victorious, defeating the Regina Roughriders 20–12 in the 22nd Grey Cup game.

In the years after World War II, it became increasingly difficult for the ORFU to compete against the IRFU and the WIFU, both of which were now fully professional.

Imperials who were elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame-based solely on their play in Sarnia included Norm Perry, Orm Beach and Hugh 'Bummer' Stirling.