Members of the Lakes District Film Society announced this week that the Beacon Theatre will be closing later this year 鈥� but only long enough to facilitate replacement facility鈥檚 155 seats.

John Illes, president of the film society, announced Feb. 28 that the not-for-profit organization will likely be closed for two to three weeks to facilitate the $60,000 retrofit.

鈥淭hese new seats aren鈥檛 an 鈥榦f the shelf鈥� product,鈥� explained Illes. 鈥淭hey are manufactured overseas to very exacting specifications, and will match the slope of the floor inside Beacon Theatre. After we place the order, it will be approximately 90 days before they arrive in 亚洲天堂 Lake.鈥�

Illes said the project will require a lot of coordination between the seat manufacturer, the installers, and local workers who will remove the current seats and replace the theatre鈥檚 existing wood flooring with a high-grade commercial product. Volunteers may be required to assist with the project.

Illes said the theatre society hopes the new seats can be in place before this summer鈥檚 blockbuster movies are released. Every effort will be made, he stressed, to avoid disrupting service.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to inconvenience our loyal customers,鈥� he explained. 鈥淯ltimately, though, this project will make seeing a movie at the Beacon Theatre much more enjoyable. The current seats can be very uncomfortable, and their replacement will likely be welcomed by avid movie fans.鈥�

Most of the cost of the retrofit will come from yet-to-be-named granting agencies, with the theatre society contributing approximately $5,000. The project, he said, would not be possible without strong community support.

鈥淟akes District residents have made our community-owned theatre a financial success,鈥� he said. 鈥淲ithout them, this project wouldn鈥檛 be possible. We hope, within a few years, to be in a financial position to refurbish the exterior of the building as well.鈥�

Shortly after the theatre opened, noted Illes, more than 130 local residents and businesses donated $100 each to 鈥榓dopt鈥� seats in the theatre. Plaques bearing the names of these generous patrons are currently affixed to the seat backs, and will be transferred to the new seats when the retrofit is complete.

Illes hinted that some of the theatre鈥檚 existing seats may be available free of charge to residents who want them.

鈥淚t may pose a bit of a problem, because most of the seats are joined in sections,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut we鈥檙e open to suggestions.鈥�

The Beacon is one of a handful of community-owned cinemas in Canada, and one of the best equipped theatres in Northern British Columbia. The film society purchased, re-equipped, and reopened the theatre in the fall of 2010 with assistance from several local and regional organizations.