Saskatoon business leader Karl Miller remembered after fatal crash

The local business community is mourning a loss after an influential developer and his family were killed in a crash with a semi on Highway 41 near Aberdeen on Sunday night.

The victims of the crash were Meridian Developments president and co-founder Karl Miller, along with his wife and their two children.

Jason Aebig, CEO of the Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce, described Miller as a talented businessman and community builder, as well as a respected friend and colleague to many in the Saskatoon community.

“Karl, I think, was a community builder in every sense of the word,” Aebig said, adding that Miller had big ambitions for Saskatoon and may be best known for some of the larger projects he’s led in the city.

According to Meridian Developments, Miller took part in creating a number of well-known buildings across the city over the last decade, including the Aria Condominiums in Evergreen, the Luxe on Broadway, and the renovation and expansion of Affinity Credit Union’s campus.

Aebig said he had an opportunity to work with Miller when he was developing a new area plan in Broadway, and Miller had an interest in incorporating new buildings into heritage neighborhoods like Nutana.

Miller was right at the forefront of addressing concerns about high rises taking over, and helped ensure that the commercial district and residential areas felt connected, Aebig explained.

“In all of those instances, Karl’s eye was also on what was good for the community and what was in the best interest of the city,” Aebig said.

“Karl was a very thoughtful developer.”

Miller’s role in the community was also recognized by the University of Saskatchewan with an Alumni Award of Achievement in 2012.

“His voice will be missed at all of the tables where I know he was very influential,” Aebig said. “We’re all going to feel the effects of his untimely passing. It’s tragic and it’s too soon.”

The heads of the Saskatoon & Region Home Builder’s Association – where Miller previously served as a director – also shared a message of “deep and profound sadness” after Miller’s passing.

“Karl made an indelible impact on the City of Saskatoon, and his many projects will remain as a testament to his legacy and vision of creating a brighter future for Saskatoon’s citizens,” CEO Nicole Burgess and board chair Conrad Ehr wrote.

“May Karl, Shashawna, Kalani and Kaiden rest in peace.”