The Beacon Theatre鈥檚 digital projection system will be paid for by the end of July, thanks to the generosity of Lakes District residents and the region鈥檚 community-minded businesses.

Michael Riis-Christianson, president of the Lakes District Film Society said the society鈥檚 executive has voted unanimously in favour of repaying its $50,000 digital projector loan from the Bulkley Valley Credit Union.

鈥淚nitially, the earliest we thought we might be able to repay this loan was this fall,鈥� Riis-Christianson explained.

鈥淗owever, the success of our digital projector fundraising campaign, combined with better than expected revenues at the theatre, will enable us to retire this debt within the next few weeks.鈥�

The Lakes District Film Society converted the Beacon Theatre to digital projection in December 2010 after its aged 35 mm system failed on start up. The conversion cost the society $104,000, $50,000 of which was financed by the Bulkley Valley Credit Union.

According to Riis-Christianson, the decision to convert to digital projection was the right one. 鈥淲e could have repaired the old equipment, but we elected to follow the advice of veteran theatre owners such as the Salmar Community Association and go digital,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was definitely the right thing to do.