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He keeps going and going

Andrew Rankin
Northern News Services
Published Thursday, April 16, 2009

INUVIK - For the last 24 years, the Fruit Man has made it to Inuvik. Even a nasty but brief illness that kept him hospitalized overnight last week en route couldn't keep him away.

But he's over that. Saturday was his second day set up in town and like always, he was sharing a few laughs and lighthearted conversation with people young and old, streaming in to get their hands on the cream of the crop.

NNSL Photo/Graphic

The Fruit Man Bill Rutherford is handed a few oranges on Saturday from one of his biggest fans, Jade Goose-McDonald, 3. - Andrew Rankin/NNSL photo

Bill Rutherford said after more than two decades on the job, he's starting to get worn down.

"It's the driving I find hard to take and my age is creeping up on me," he said.

And who can blame him? With the exception of a few months of the year where he's either pausing for a breather or waiting for the Dempster Highway and the ferries to open, every three weeks the Inuvik resident completes an 8,000-km round trip to Annacis Island, B.C., with his tractor trailer. There he picks up his bounty of only the finest fruits and vegetables and drives it to his faithful patrons in Fort McPherson, Tuktoyaktuk and Aklavik.

It would be his ideal job if he could cut out the gruelling driving schedule and deal only with freight loading in B.C. and then selling his produce around the Delta.

"If I had a truck that could move 1000 km/h I'd buy it," he said.

Knowing he provides an important service to communities gives him a lot of satisfaction.

"That's one of the main reasons why I keep doing it," he said. "I'm making a living at it, too. But it's nice that people tell you thanks for doing what you're doing."

And the long haul driving along the Klondike and Alaska highways has its up-sides, given all the extraordinary things he's seen over the years.

"I met an older couple from Florida in their mid-80s," he said. "They were driving a motor home that was probably as long as my trailer and they both had a cane in each hand. They drove that motor home by themselves all the way up here. Young people these days can't even cross the street. That was pretty special to see."

Bonny Ebele of Inuvik has been a loyal customer of Rutherford's for the past three years. He said he's in awe of the Fruit Man's toughness.

"He's my good friend, Bill," said Ebele. "He does such a great job and he's dependable and his fruits and vegetables are always as fresh as can be. Whenever he's here, I'm here."

Rutherford said it's been a pretty good season. In fact, he doesn't mind winter, except for the -30 to -40 C temperatures.

"I wouldn't mind if it stayed 20 below all year around. No bugs. You don't have to deal with ferries; you get to go up to Tuk and Aklavik all year round. The tourists can come up and see the real Arctic."

With the cost of energy on the rise, the trusty retailer said he has had to raise prices to deal with the extra cost of doing business.

He doesn't have any immediate plans of slowing down, and that's music to the ears of another of his loyal customers.

"The produce is very fresh, and always is good quality," said Denise Kurszewski. "He's a good man, but then he's married to a relative so I have to be nice to him."

The Fruit Man will be back in Inuvik in June.