The LEAF team offers our warmest condolences to the family, friends, and loved ones of Deb Miller. Deb Miller was a dedicated feminist, beloved founder and member of the LEAF Edmonton branch, and important contributor to LEAF’s work. We are honoured to share LEAF Edmonton’s reflections on Deb’s life and impact here:
It is with deep sadness that LEAF Edmonton notes the passing of Deb Miller on July 23, 2026. Deb was among the founders of LEAF Edmonton, which held its first fundraising event in 1985—the year LEAF incorporated and the year section 15, the equality rights clause of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms came into force. Many important LEAF interventions have been in cases originating in Alberta. Branch members, including Deb, played roles shepherding those cases through the organization, including raising awareness and identifying local counsel.
Deb’s feminist activism expanded well beyond her work with the branch. She was one of a group of women who were instrumental in bringing the first Morgentaler clinic to Edmonton. In 1988, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled unconstitutional the sections of the Criminal Code dealing with abortion provision. Upon hearing the news, Deb recalled heading to her firm’s library and looking up Dr. Morgentaler’s telephone number. He told her that if her group built a clinic he would come. Despite violent opposition, they persevered and a clinic opened. LEAF Edmonton hosted a panel in 2018 where the group explained that history and the reality of a pre-Morgentaler world, urging attendees to remain vigilant, a warning that proved all too prescient.
Following that panel, Deb returned to the LEAF Edmonton branch executive where one of her many duties included volunteering as the ticket sales coordinator for any fundraising events. Anyone on the receiving end of those calls could attest to her effectiveness, and the results were evident in the monies raised.
Deb’s many accomplishments are beyond the scope of this recognition by her branch. She worked primarily as a family law lawyer in private practice and at Legal Aid, where she headed the Family Law office. Deb was passionate in her pursuit of equality rights, particularly in the area of violence against women. She mentored many young lawyers and helped many students find articling positions.
The feminist community in Edmonton has lost a powerful force with Deb’s passing. She was relentless in her pursuit of causes she believed in and never backed down regardless of opposition. Many of us have also lost a loyal friend, and it is difficult to overstate the profound impact she had on the lives of so many of us.