Changes to Alberta's labour laws range from overtime compensation and benefit eligibility, to a mandate that employers give holiday pay to employees, even if they didn’t work on the date.

Scott Winograd, owner of the soon-to-be-closed Bears Den restaurant in Calgary, says the changes combined with the minimum wage increases and carbon tax have forced him to close the business.

But at the same time, research shows the economy is growing, jobs are returning, and the Business Development Bank of Canada says Alberta business investments will near 12 per cent in 2018.

The looming questions are what kind of climate are Alberta businesses working in, and how much will they be impacted by the new provincial legislation?