Island UndergroundInitiated in January 1971, two months after the former Canadian Speleological Society had become the Vancouver Island Cave Exploration Group, VICEG News managed to produce monthly issues for 16 years, though often behind schedule. (As long-time Treasurer Gerry Fowler once remarked: "VICEG News - published monthly, twice a year..."). Its pages provide a detailed record of the club's activities, including trip reports, profiles of new members, lists of correspondence, surveys, photos, membership lists and articles on various topics of interest. In 1985, as the longstanding schism between VICEG and the organization that had become the B.C. Speleological Federation began to be bridged by energetic new arrivals on the Island caving scene, a new, overlapping publication, Island Underground, was initiated to provide a more neutral outlet for reporting on Island caving activities. By the end of 1986, VICEG and the BCSF agreed to combine efforts on common interests such as cave rescue and publications, and VICEG News and Island Undergroundd both ceased publication to open the way for a new, provincial caving journal, BC Caver.
BC CaverIsland Underground was "A newsletter for cavers interested in Vancouver Island", produced by Pat Shaw (Vancouver) and Steve Grundy (Victoria) and in an effort to avoid any "speleopolitical biases" that might result from having the VICEG News providing the only published record of Island caving activities. Its seven issues drew off much of the trip report and article content previously directed toward VICEG News, but attracted other material as well, demonstrating that an inclusive regular newsletter would enjoy wide support. With the combined effort of VICEG and the BCSF at the end of 1986, Island Underground and VICEG News gave way to the provincial newsletter, BC Caver.
The BC Caver is published quarterly and is the "Voice of Caving" for not only VICEG, but the other BCSF member clubs strewn about the Province as well. If you are a member of one of the BCSF caving groups and would like to subscribe, contact Lorna Duncan.