Jason Unrau
Northern News Services

Inuvik (Sep 16/05) - It's been more than two decades since Bill Rutherford sold his apple orchard in the Okanagan Valley and became a middle-man in the business of fresh produce.

However, his destination would not be the farmers' markets of the south.

Bill "the Fruitman" Rutherford with one of his newest customers Mikaela Cockney. A party was thrown recently in honour of Rutherford's 20 years of service, trucking fresh produce from southern Canada to Inuvik and outlying communities.

Rutherford would travel north, selling his goods to people living in the Arctic Circle.

"I started (in this business) selling the stuff off my own orchard, then I got into selling around Alberta," he said, while enjoying last Sunday's party, put on to celebrate his 20 years of providing fresh fruit and vegetables to this region. "In the spring of '85, I decided I needed to find a new market."

After hearing stories from colleagues of large crowds lining up to buy fresh produce in remote Alberta communities, Rutherford got the idea to come North.

"As soon as I got here with my first load, I knew I was coming back," he said of his inaugural trip to Inuvik. "I just didn't think it was going to be for 20 years."

When the ice-road is out, Rutherford visits Fort McPherson on the way to Inuvik. When temperatures drop and the ice road is in play, the Fruitman heads for his loyal clientele in Aklavik and Tuktoyaktuk.

With more than 250 return trips under his belt, at 7,750 km per delivery run, Rutherford has logged nearly 2 million km and gone through four Mack Trucks.

He has also come to be known affectionately as the Fruitman to his regular customers.

"People are way more friendlier than down south," he said of his customers, many of whom have become good friends over the last two decades.

"The majority of people up here are really good people."

Rutherford enjoyed coming here so much, he eventually bought a house and now calls Inuvik his home.

The uniqueness of the Fruitman's chosen endeavour has not only endeared him to people in the North, but has been the subject of several award-winning stories.

Wayne Rostad's CBC television series recorded a documentary about Rutherford's adventures, which garnered the show a Genie Award. "He (Rostad) called me after they won that and they were still partying on Sunday," he said. "Doing that (show) was a gas."

As well, writers Andy Turnbull and Debora Pearson created a children's book based on the Fruitman called "By Truck To The North" and it earned Canadian Children's Book of the Year.

When asked how much longer he'll keep it up, Rutherford says he doesn't know. This season, he's hired a driver to go back-and-forth between wholesalers in British Columbia and the end of the road, leaving him to concentrate on the retail end of things.

"Even after 20 years of coming up the road, I still wonder if this load will sell or not," he said. "And that's the one thing I've never taken for granted."

Here's hoping the Fruitman stays in the business for a good while to come, because if the turnout at Sunday's party in honour of his service is any indication, Inuvik hasn't taken Rutherford for granted either. either.