Doris Needham was an artist in Revelstoke during the 1950’s. She made unusual fairy tale figurines from cement by shaping her creations by hand, without the use of molds or forms.

Desiring to find the perfect setting for her handiwork, she searched for two years and finally chose this unique but isolated location between Revelstoke and Sicamous, BC. This endeavour turned into a retirement project which Doris and her husband Ernest named their “Enchanted Forest”.

The Needham’s were very isolated in those early years. However, their love of nature and trust in God kept them at their chosen work. During the next 10 years, they developed eight of their forest's 40 acres, and purchased the property originally leased from the Crown.

The trails were cleared by hand, their only tools being shovels, picks and a crosscut saw. With a labour of love Ernest built he "Candy Cane" house in which they lived and constructed the rock walls along the property. Utilizing the waterfall across the highway, a gravity water system was installed, this is still in use today.

With the opening of Rogers Pass, the traffic pattern changed from a few automobiles a day to thousands and travellers began stopping, out of curiosity, to view the quaint sights of The Enchanted Forest.

New Growth in an Old Growth Forest..............