Diana Frost
Colouring It Forward
Originally from Québec, Diana spent her formative years in West Africa—an early awakening to the beauty of diverse cultures and the complex realities of life in developing countries. This experience inspired her to pursue a career in environmental engineering, leading to seven years working across Latin America and the Caribbean as a water and sanitation engineer.
Returning to Canada, she continued her engineering career in Calgary, focusing on water distribution and treatment systems. But Diana’s path soon expanded beyond engineering. As an Algonquin mixed-blood woman, a visual artist, and a musician, she felt called to help others reconnect with Indigenous wisdom and creativity.
In 2016, a powerful dream inspired Diana to publish a series of colouring books that would share teachings from Indigenous Elders alongside artwork from Indigenous artists. That vision became Colouring It Forward, a social enterprise that continues to create books and products that honour and uplift Indigenous voices, while also supporting artists, Elders, and community development initiatives.
Diana has also supported Indigenous artists in writing grants for murals and creative projects, helping them bring their visions to life. In 2017, she founded the CIF Reconciliation Society (now Pokaiks Reconciliation Society), dedicated to advancing reconciliation through the arts. Under her leadership, the organization launched the annual Pokaiks: The Children Walk, a powerful Truth and Reconciliation Day gathering that honours residential school survivors and commemorates the children we lost. The society has also curated exhibits and workshops in partnership with Arts Commons, Alberta University of the Arts, the Alberta Society of Artists, and many others.
In 2024, Diana stepped down as Chair of Pokaiks Reconciliation Society to pursue new opportunities. She now contributes her skills to the Be Local team at Momentum, where she supports Calgary’s social enterprise community through communications, event planning, learning content production, and Social Return on Investment (SROI) strategy.
