The Depression in the 1930s brought extreme economic hardship. Athletes found it difficult to raise the money to compete in international events like the Olympics. Exciting sports, such as boxing and six-day bicycle racing, provided entertainment for fans.

Amateur basketball gained widespread popularity. Men’s teams from British Columbia dominated national competition. The UBC women’s squad won the 1930 world championships. In hockey, the Kimberley Dynamiters and the Trail Smoke Eaters each captured a world amateur hockey title.

For the first time, British Columbia sports fans could follow the progress of their favorite teams on the radio. In 1933, a Vancouver radio station broadcast its first Eastern NHL game. Movie theatre newsreels included sports reports from around the world.