The early 1900s were a period of rapid population growth in the West Kootenays. Mining, agriculture and tourism were expanding. The end of the population explosion began when the first World War came. The major mining booms had passed and road and rail expansion gradually reduced the need for steamer services.

Three large sternwheelers completed just before the war were to be used for the heavy summer season traffic on Kootenay Lake and to increase accommodations on the major mainline routes, thereby relegating the Moyie to local and freight services.

Into the 1920s, the Moyie continued as a relief vessel. Her duties were many and varied and, except for refitting, she appears to have been in almost constant service—on average, all but one or two days a month. She was sometimes used as a tug on the Procter–Kootenay Landing Route, but more often she worked barges around the lake on a varied daily schedule that saw the steamer leaving early in the morning and not tying up until late in the evening. With a crew comprised of from 14 to 21 men, she hauled such commodities as powder, oil, apples, lumber, coal and ore concentrates.

The Moyie was also used on excursions during this period and as many as 200 passengers were carried. For example, on July 30, 1924 an excursion was operated between Nelson and Procter with 217 people on the eastbound trip and 183 returning to Nelson late in the day. Nelson to Procter and Nelson to Kaslo were favourite excursion routes. Vessels were operated to Kaslo as a traditional part of the May 24th holiday celebrations.

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