The
Hardy Island Granite Quarry was opened in the early years of the century and
reached it's peak production around 1915. A large crew was
required.
Their work left quarry faces up to 90 feet high. This picture was taken c. 1915.
This is the same quarry face in 2004
The granite blocks were sent by railcar from the quarry faces down a steep hill to a landing, where cranes were used to load the barges.
This is the same landing in 2004, pictured with the Toby II, our crew boat.
Here is the same landing from an overhead perspective, with a barge being loaded. In the present-day operation, blocks are loaded onto the barge with a wheeled loader instead of a crane and rail cars.
Many
of the techniques used in the early quarry operation are still used today,
including black powder blasting, and plug and feather splitting.
The stone is worked in benches up to 30' (9 m) in height. Blocks
averaging 10 tons are produced. Today, excavators and wheel loaders have
replaced steam donkeys and rigging for moving stone. 
The quarry reached it's peak production in 1915 when it supplied the stone for the Ogden Point breakwater in Victoria, B.C. Using about 125,000 tons of granite blocks, it is probably the largest dimension stone project in B.C. History.
Another
well-known example of the use of Hardy Island stone are the carved lions in front of the
Vancouver Art Gallery.