Donna Combs
Donna Coombs-Montrose is a Community Activist and History Advocate
who has resided in Edmonton, Alberta for over 20 years. Donna holds a
BA and MSLS. Since coming to Edmonton, Alberta she has served on the
board of CARIWEST – Western Carnival Development Association – from
1999-2017, including 10 years as its President, raising the contributions of
Caribbean immigrants to building this society. She has also served as
founding member of the Alberta Labour History Institute (ALHI) from 1999
and has served this organization as a director for the past eight years. She
is a member of WAWT, as well as several other organizations. With a
passion for storytelling and devoted to recording Black Communities’
movements and diaspora contributions, Donna has recorded scores of
interviews and stories of early Black pioneers, frontline Black nurses,
Caribbean oil workers and technocrats, as well as Black industry leaders.
All records are available for public education. Donna is a recipient of a
Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Medal (2022), the NBCC Mary Burlie Award
(025) and a NASA Lifetime Achievement Award (2025). Donna is currently
serving as the City of Edmonton’s Historian Laureate.
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