Bread and Roses bakery owner Chris Green is fighting for his businesses’ life after filing an injunction last week to stop his New Edinburgh Centre landlord from turfing him out on the street.

Green has been fighting to stay in his location on Beechwood Avenue following a five-alarm fire last year that destroyed a dozen neighbouring businesses. Before Easter Weekend in April, Green’s landlord Helen Carter padlocked his shop and ordered him to leave for violating the terms of his lease.

“She’s tried to squeeze me out of business,” Green said. “She sent me a letter saying that I’m violating my lease because I run a wholesale business from the bakery.”

Green said that he’s loath to hold up the progress of redeveloping the land and that he’s open to moving his shop, but that financial hurdles lie in his way.

“The movement on their part right now is to get me out of here with nothing,” said Green. “All my resources are tied up in this location. The other tenants were able to get some insurance money from the fire. The thing is that you need money to move.”

Word in the community is that Minto is looking to purchase the property, said Green, but nothing has been firmed up yet.

He imagines that with his neighbour Hamie’s diner’s lease set to expire in January 2013, that he’s the last thing standing in the way of a sale.

“My only option right now is to fight for my survival,” said Green. “The wholesale business provides the rent and wages for my staff. I’ve worked four years to rebuild this business and now they just want me to leave.”

The Bread and Roses bakery has been at the same location for the past 24 years and Green said his lease is up in another three years.

“I just hope they would negotiate in a fair spirit,” said Green. “They could give me piece of mind by telling me what’s going on. But their tactics suggest there’s a date in mind for shutting us.”