THE FIRST BAT CONDO
IN THE OKANAGAN.
A bat maternity roost installed at Penticton Channel Parkway in April 2026 — the first of its kind in the valley. Liam Kinders Contracting was one of the trades partners on a community-led project led by the snpink'tn Indian Band.
A community project, hands-on.
The Okanagan Bat Condo Project was led by the snpink'tn (Penticton) Indian Band in collaboration with Rock On Collective, the Okanagan Community Bat Program, and the City of Penticton. The site at Penticton Channel Parkway was identified for its ecological significance to local bat species — a riparian corridor that's become rare valley-wide.
LK Contracting was brought on as one of the trades partners — general contracting support for the build and install, alongside Nielsen Roofing & Sheet Metal on the metal cladding, Pile Pros on the foundation pilings, and Maurer Crane Services on install day.
Building the structure.
Bat condos aren't standard framing. The structure is essentially a maternity ward — tall, narrow, with a sequence of internal roost chambers and a precisely-spec'd entry geometry that lets female bats and their pups in while keeping predators out.
We started with the base frame, squared and braced for the long ride to Penticton. From there came the doors, the roost interior, and finally the top — all built in the workshop so the trades could keep working in any weather, and so install day on Channel Parkway could happen in a single afternoon.
Onto the trailer, then onto the parkway.
Loaded, strapped down, and trailered to Penticton Channel Parkway. The piling foundation had been driven ahead of time by Pile Pros — once on site, it was Maurer Crane Services' job to lift the condo from the trailer, swing it over the pilings, and lower it into place.
The install crew guided it down by hand. Once it was set, we strapped it to the foundation and the structure was secure. Liam stayed under it for the set — feeling how it sat, where the load was transferring, and what the install crew was working with.
Opened on April 29, 2026.
Elder Richard Armstrong of the snpink'tn Indian Band performed the opening ceremony. Partners, funders, and community volunteers gathered on Channel Parkway to mark the first bat condo in the Okanagan officially being put to use — just in time for the spring maternity season.
Where the bats actually need to be.
Roughly 85–90% of the valley-bottom riparian habitats in the Okanagan have been lost since the 1800s. That figure — from biologist Gemma Almendros at the snpink'tn Indian Band — is the entire reason this project exists. The riparian corridor along Channel Parkway is one of the few stretches in the valley bottom that still supports the kind of insect populations bats need to feed their pups through summer.
"Riparian and wetland ecosystems in the Okanagan Valley have suffered severe destruction, with estimates indicating that 85% to 90% of valley-bottom riparian habitats have been lost since the 1800s. These critical areas, which support a high diversity of wildlife including bats, have been largely reduced due to human activities."
— Gemma Almendros, Biologist, snpink'tn Indian Band
"A bat condo is a maternity ward for bats. Each female bat gives birth to just one pup per year, and these structures provide essential seasonal habitat during spring, summer, and fall."
— Paula Rodriguez de la Vega, Coordinator, Okanagan Community Bat Program
A project this size takes a network.
Lead partners
Construction & trades
- Nielsen Roofing & Sheet Metal Ltd.
- Pile Pros
- Liam Kinders Contracting
- Maurer Crane Services
Funders & supporting
- South Okanagan Conservation Fund
- Environment Canada
- BC Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship
- Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation
The project was also made possible through the dedication of numerous community volunteers.
Coverage of the opening.
Building something with community impact in the Okanagan?
If you've got a community-driven build in mind — anything from a wildlife structure to a neighbourhood project — we'd love to hear about it.
