The Bats of Metchosin Community Hall
One of the largest Little Brown Bat maternity colonies in the region lives right above our historic hall. Discover these remarkable animals, watch them live on our Bat Cam, and learn why they are such an important part of Metchosin’s natural heritage.
Sharing Our Historic Hall With Some of Metchosin’s Most Important Residents
For more than 135 years, Metchosin Community Hall has been a gathering place for people. What many visitors don’t realize is that our historic hall is also home to one of the largest known Little Brown Bat maternity colonies in the region. The colony lives exclusively in the attic and has never interfered with events or guests — people and bats have coexisted here happily for generations.
Each spring and summer, hundreds of bats return to the upper areas of the hall to raise their young before dispersing throughout the forests, wetlands, farms, and shorelines of Metchosin. Their presence is an important reminder that community stewardship extends beyond the walls of the hall and into the natural environment that surrounds us.
Watch The Colony Live
One of the most remarkable wildlife experiences in Metchosin happens every evening right above our heads.
Through our live Bat Cam, visitors can observe the colony’s activity in real time and learn more about these fascinating animals. During the active season, bats emerge around sunset and head out across the community in search of insects, playing an important role in maintaining healthy local ecosystems.
Whether you are a wildlife enthusiast, a student, a nature lover, or simply curious about our unusual residents, we invite you to watch and learn alongside us. The bats of Metchosin Hall are one of the most remarkable urban wildlife experiences on southern Vancouver Island.
Metchosin Hall Bat Cam
Coming Soon…
Bat activity is seasonal. The colony is most active from spring through early fall, with peak emergence occurring around sunset. During winter months the bats disperse and the cam may show little or no activity.
A Remarkable Part of Metchosin’s Natural Heritage
The bat colony living within Metchosin Community Hall has been recognized as an important habitat by local conservation organizations and wildlife researchers.
Little Brown Myotis populations have declined dramatically across North America due to White-Nose Syndrome, habitat loss, and other environmental pressures. The species is currently listed as Endangered in Canada, making established maternity colonies such as the one at Metchosin Community Hall increasingly important for its long-term survival.
The hall provides a safe and stable environment where female bats can gather each year to give birth and raise their pups.
Meet Our Resident Species
The Little Brown Myotis (Little Brown Bat) is one of British Columbia’s most common and beneficial bat species. These remarkable animals:
- Weigh less than a golf ball
- Have a wingspan of approximately 22–27 cm
- Navigate using echolocation
- Can live for more than 30 years
- Usually raise one pup each year
- Form maternity colonies in warm attic and roof spaces during spring and summer
Although small in size, they play a vital role in maintaining healthy ecosystems throughout Vancouver Island.
Why Bats Matter
Bats are among nature’s most effective insect controllers. A single Little Brown Bat can consume hundreds of insects in a single hour while feeding. Across an entire colony, that adds up to thousands of insects removed from the environment every night.
Benefits of bats include:
- Natural mosquito control
- Reduced agricultural pests
- Healthy ecosystem balance
- Important biodiversity indicators
- Reduced reliance on pesticides
- Pollination support in some species
Every evening, the bats of Metchosin Hall quietly perform a valuable service for our community.
Living Alongside Wildlife
Metchosin has always been a community that values its connection to nature.
The bat colony lives exclusively in the attic of the building and has no access to the interior event spaces. The main hall, meeting rooms, kitchen, and all public areas are completely separate from the colony’s roosting areas. In over 135 years of events, the bats have never interfered with or bothered a single gathering at the hall.
Historic buildings often provide the warm, protected roof spaces bats need, particularly as natural roosting locations become less common — and Metchosin Hall is proud to provide that habitat while continuing to welcome people through its doors every day.
Quick Facts About Our Colony & Myths
Species: Little Brown Myotis
Colony Type: Summer Maternity Colony
Diet: Flying Insects
Active Hours: Dusk to Dawn
Average Wingspan: 22–27 cm
Lifespan: Up to 30 Years
Young Raised: Usually One Pup Per Year
Location: Attic (separate from all event spaces)
Myth: Bats are blind.
Fact: Bats can see quite well and also use echolocation to navigate and hunt in the dark — essentially a built-in biological sonar system so precise it can detect an object the width of a human hair.
Myth: Bats will fly into your hair.
Fact: Bats are incredibly skilled flyers with echolocation so accurate they can catch a single mosquito in mid-air in complete darkness. They actively avoid obstacles including people — if a bat flies close to you it is chasing an insect, not your hair.
Myth: Bats are rodents.
Fact: Bats belong to their own unique order of mammals called Chiroptera — meaning “hand wing” in Greek. They are no more related to mice or rats than humans are. In fact bats are more closely related to primates than to rodents.
Myth: Bats are pests.
Fact: Bats are among the most ecologically valuable animals on the planet. A single Little Brown Bat can consume hundreds of insects in an hour. The colony at Metchosin Hall alone removes countless thousands of mosquitoes, agricultural pests, and other insects from the community every single night — entirely for free.
Myth: All bats carry rabies.
Fact: The vast majority of bats are healthy. In British Columbia the incidence of rabies in bat populations is very low. Like all wild animals bats should never be handled, but simply sharing a space with bats — as thousands of hall visitors have done — poses no risk.
Myth: Bats are dirty.
Fact: Bats are actually very clean. Like cats, they spend a significant amount of time grooming themselves and keeping their fur clean. Healthy bats are meticulous groomers and maintain their wings and fur carefully. A healthy bat is a clean bat.
Myth: Bats are nocturnal because they prefer darkness.
Fact: Bats are nocturnal because that’s when their insect prey is most active and when they face the least competition from birds. It’s a survival strategy refined over millions of years — not an aversion to light.
Protecting Metchosin’s Bats
The Metchosin area is fortunate to have dedicated conservation organizations, researchers, stewardship groups, and volunteers working to protect bat habitat throughout southern Vancouver Island. Organizations such as Habitat Acquisition Trust (HAT), along with local conservation partners and the BC Community Bat Program, help raise awareness about the important role bats play in maintaining healthy ecosystems.
By preserving important roosting sites, protecting natural habitats, and educating the public, we can help ensure future generations continue to benefit from these remarkable animals.
The bat colony at Metchosin Community Hall is more than a group of animals living in an old building. It is a living part of our community’s natural heritage and a reminder that people and wildlife can successfully share the same space.
A Living Part of Hall History
For over 135 years, Metchosin Community Hall has brought people together to celebrate, learn, create, and connect.
Today, the hall continues that tradition while also providing a home for one of the community’s most fascinating wildlife populations.
We are proud to share this historic building with our resident bats and invite visitors to learn more about the important role they play in keeping Metchosin healthy, vibrant, and connected to the natural world around us. And if you are looking for a truly unique and historic venue for your next event — weddings, celebrations, meetings, concerts, workshops, and community events — we would love to welcome you too. The hall is available year-round, bats included. Visit our Rentals page for full pricing and availability, or reach out directly.