The origin of Dildo’s name is uncertain. As early as 1711, it was being used for a tiny offshore island there, but the island’s connection with any kind of sex toy is uncertain at best. At the time, “dildo” was a word used for any cylindrical object, from nautical pins to test tubes. It was also a type of tree and a nonsense syllable used in song refrains, so the island’s name could have referred to any of these.
The whaling and fishing industries that built the town have mostly dried up, so today Dildo relies on its unusual name to draw in most of its visitors. Every summer, the town holds a Dildo festival, in which the parade is led by a wooden statue of an old fishing-boat skipper called Captain Dildo. Souvenir T-shirts, which disconcertingly read “I Survived Dildo Days,” are hot items.
But not everyone in town is in love with the Dildo brand. Many other places in Newfoundland have toned down their odd names of late (Cuckolds Cove is now Dunfield, Silly Cove is now Winterton, Famish Gut is now Fairhaven) and in the 1980s, a local electrician named Robert Elford believed Dildo should get on board. He circulated a petition hoping to change the town’s name to Seaview or Pretty Cove, but neighbors mostly scoffed and his crusade went nowhere. Dildo pride is a force to be reckoned with.
In August 2019, Jimmy Kimmel made a joke about this little town and then visited it. We watched the episodes and he was treated like a king. The town made him honorary Mayor! We've never been to Newfoundland but I think it's about time. I have some friends who were born in Newfoundland but moved to the west coast. They loved it there. It's a different way of life.
These fellows did a wonderful song of their town. Enjoy
