Dildo, Newfoundland and Labrador

Dildo is a town on the southeastern Dildo Arm of Trinity Bay on the island of Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It is about 100 kilometres west-northwest of St. John's. South Dildo is a neighbouring unincorporated community.

General History

Dildo has a long history going as far back as 2000 BCE when Maritime Archaic Native Americans resided at Anderson's Cove. By 700 CE Dorset had inhabited Dildo Island.

In 1613, Henry Crout, whilst sailing up Dildo Arm, came in contact with the Beothuks, who were residing on Dildo Island at this time. He traded with them and left gifts.

In 1711 the inhabitants of Trinity Bay were ordered by Governor Crow to leave their homes during the winter, to defend themselves against the French who burned their houses. Dildo Island was one of the places designated for this purpose.

The town of Dildo was founded in the late 1700s and settled to exploit the abundance of marine resources such as fish, whales and seals.

In 1883 the first Waymaster was Albert Smith. The Way Office was changed to a Post Office in 1891.

In 1889 a codfish hatchery was constructed on Dildo Island. It was the largest and most advanced in the world and the first in North America, but due to a lack of government funding it closed in 1897.

In 1891 the first Postmistress was Emma Moore.

In 1932, the German flying boat Do-X, the largest plane in the world at that time, landed in Dildo.

In 1933 a giant squid was discovered by two local residents Reuben Reid and Richard Gosse. The squid was 30 feet long, and a replica is on display at the local museum.

In 1991 the Gaia, a replica of the Gokstad ship, visited Dildo on the Vinland Revisited trip, along with descendants of the original Vikings as they retraced their ancestors' voyages to North America.

History of All Saints' Anglican Church

The first church was built in 1878 by the people of Dildo. It was a simple structure that had no tower and was 30 feet wide by 80 feet long. It had a seating capacity of 250 people, and was heated by two coal stoves at either end which shared a common chimney. The first priest was Arthur C. Waghorne. This Church served the community until 1964 when the present (larger) building was constructed.

Present Information (2007)

Incumbent: The Rev'd Canon Shirley Noseworthy And The Rev'd Roger Whalen Organist: Andrew D. Pretty/ Sexton: Kevin E. Reid/ Peoples Warden: David W. Pretty/ Ministers Warden: Donald Coombs/

Present

Dildo has a fast-growing tourist industry. Dildo offers picturesque scenery, several bed and breakfasts, eating establishments, the Dildo Museum interpretive centre, the Historic Dildo Days celebration in August, boat tours, the Society of United Fishermen, the Lions centre, several heritage structures, walking trails, many businesses and, of course, the road sign souvenirs.

Dildo won the Harrowsmith Magazine Award in 2001 as one of the ten prettiest small towns in Canada.

Dildo has also been featured on CBC's On the Road Again and Land and Sea as well as a live radio broadcast from the interpretation centre.

Picturesque scenery of Dildo

Some residents have tried to change the name several times but to no avail. One person stated, "It was good enough for our forefathers so it's good enough for us."

In August of 2006, Dildo was also the subject of the "What the...?" segment on the Australian television talk show Rove Live.

Dildo has its own television station, Channel Six.

Name

Dildo has an unusual name, which has attracted attention worldwide. Modern usage of the word dildo as a sex toy has nothing to do with the original naming of the community, however. Dildos is the traditional name for the two round pegs in a dory (a small traditional rowboat) which brace the oars during rowing. In other dialects of English these would be called rowlocks.

There is speculation that the town was named after a location in Spain or Portugal or the name of a short sword that is shaped like Dildo Island. A further explanation for the unusual name comes from the heavy presence of French names in the region, many of which have been anglicized. One possible example being "de l'île de l'eau", meaning "of the island of water", a navigational reference to the large pond on one of the three islands located at the entrance of the harbour.

Dildo achieved greater notoriety when it was mentioned in the song "A Night in Dildo" by the Canadian musical comedy group The Arrogant Worms. "A Night in Dildo" mentions Dildo as one of many examples of real, but amusing, Newfoundland place names.

South Dildo

South Dildo is an unincorporated community with a 1991 population of 272. At the beginning of the 20th century, South Dildo (pop. 62) was primarily involved in lumbering and supplied a schooner to the Labrador fishery. South Dildo had the roadside attraction of a wooden life-size humpback whale head, however after many years it was destroyed at the beginning of the 2006-2007 winter.

See also

• List of communities in Newfoundland and Labrador
• Place names considered unusual
• Conception Bay
• Intercourse, Pennsylvania
• Avalon Peninsula
• Mianus (Greenwich)

External links

• South Dildo history
• Dildo community information
• S. Dildo wooden whale head
• Dildo Dory Grill

47°33′52″N 53°32′57″W