Misplaced Pages

Dildo
Local service district / designated place
A road sign welcoming drivers to Dildo.
Country	Canada
Province	Newfoundland and Labrador
Census division	Division 1
Census subdivision	Subdivision E
Government
• LSD Committee Chair	Greg Pretty
Population
• Total	803
• Density	152.0/km (394/sq mi)
Highways	Route 80

Dildo is a local service district and designated place in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador on the island of Newfoundland. It is located on the southeastern Dildo Arm of Trinity Bay about 100 kilometres (62 mi) west of St. John's. South Dildo is a community located to the south, and in 2021 had 195 residents. It is known for its unusual name.

Name

The place name "Dildo" is attested in this area since at least 1711, though how this came to be is unknown. The origin of the word "dildo" itself is obscure. It was once used to reference a phallus-shaped pin stuck in the edging of a row boat to act as a pivot for the oar (also known as a "thole pin" or "dole pin"). It was used as early as the 16th century for a cylindrical object such as a dildo glass (test tube), for a phallus-shaped sex toy, as an insult for a "contemptuous or reviling" male, and as a refrain in ballads.

The name, then written as "Dildoe", was first applied to Dildo Island, located offshore from the present-day community of Dildo. This use was recorded in 1711 and 1775, and the name was thereafter applied to the Dildo Arm of Trinity Bay and other local physical features. Social scientist William Baillie Hamilton notes that Captain James Cook and his assistant Michael Lane, who mapped Newfoundland in the 1760s, often displayed a sense of humour in the place names they chose, and were not above selecting names that might "offend over-sensitive" readers. Regardless of the origin, the name has brought the town of Dildo a measure of notoriety. In the 20th century, there were several unsuccessful campaigns to change the name.

History

The Dildo area has a long history, going as far back as 2000 BC when Maritime Archaic aboriginal people resided at Anderson's Cove. By 700 AD, people of the Dorset culture 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, during Queen Anne's War, 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 18th century and settled to exploit the abundance of marine resources such as fish (mostly cod), whales and seals.

Geography

Dildo is in Newfoundland within Subdivision E of Division No. 1.

Demographics

As a designated place in the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Dildo recorded a population of 803 living in 363 of its 440 total private dwellings, a change of -17.4% from its 2016 population of 943. With a land area of 8.12 km (3.14 sq mi), it had a population density of 152.0/km (393.6/sq mi) in 2016.

Arts and culture

In August 2019, the American late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live! focused on Dildo over a number of episodes. As part of the activity, host Jimmy Kimmel was made honorary mayor of Dildo. The community is governed by a volunteer committee and does not have an elected mayor. In addition, Guillermo Rodriguez, who is known as Kimmel's sidekick "security guard", was made an honorary citizen of Dildo through the Newfoundland tradition of 'screeching in,' on the August 15, 2019, broadcast of the show. Rodriguez visited the community for a week. Kimmel declared Hollywood as Dildo's sister city. As part of his gesture, he also gave the community a sign, in the style of the Hollywood sign, which sits on the hillside overlooking the community.

Government

Dildo is a local service district (LSD) that is governed by a committee responsible for the provision of certain services to the community. The chair of the LSD committee is Greg Pretty.

Gallery

• Community of Dildo, Nfld.
• Boats in Dildo harbour
• Boathouses and shanties
• George House B&B Inn
• Dildo harbour
• Captain Dildo
• Hollywood style sign
• Kimmel for Mayor sign

See also

• List of designated places in Newfoundland and Labrador
• List of local service districts in Newfoundland and Labrador
• Newfoundland outport

References

1. ^ "Census Profile. 2021 Census. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 98-316-X2021001. Ottawa". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
2. History of Dildo Name. Kountry Kravins n' Krafts. 2005.
3. Pitt, Steve (May 1, 2004). "You Name It, We've Got It". Legion Magazine. Royal Canadian Legion. Archived from the original on January 14, 2011. Retrieved August 15, 2010.
4. "Kimmel's jokes about Dildo, N.L., worth some $11M, province says". CBC News. August 23, 2019. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
5. ^ Mullaley, Rosie (August 20, 2019). "Poll: Town of Dildo objects to sex store using town as backdrop for products". The Telegram. Saltwire Network. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
6. Dictionary of Newfoundland and Labrador
7. "Dildo (1.)". Oxford English Dictionary. June 1989. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
8. Hamilton, William Baillie (1996). Place Names of Atlantic Canada. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 0-8020-7570-3. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
9. Petty, Andrew D. (2008). "The History of All Saints'". All Saints' Anglican Church. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved August 15, 2010.
10. "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions, census subdivisions (municipalities) and designated places, 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data (Newfoundland and Labrador)". Statistics Canada. February 7, 2018. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
11. "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and designated places, 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data (Newfoundland and Labrador)". Statistics Canada. February 7, 2018. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
12. McKenzie-Sutter, Holly (August 14, 2019). "All eyes on Dildo, N.L., as Jimmy Kimmel broadcasts tongue-in-cheek mayoral race". Lethbridge News Now. The Canadian Press. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
13. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Jimmy Kimmel - Mayor of Dildo!". Youtube. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
14. ^ "Directory of Local Service Districts" (PDF). Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. October 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
15. "Local Service Districts – Frequently Asked Questions". Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. Retrieved January 1, 2022.

47°34′14″N 53°33′21″W / 47.57056°N 53.55583°W / 47.57056; -53.55583

v t e Division No. 1, Newfoundland and Labrador (Avalon Peninsula)
Cities	Mount Pearl St. John's
Towns	Admirals Beach Aquaforte Arnold's Cove Avondale Bauline Bay Bulls Bay de Verde Bay Roberts Bishop's Cove Branch Brigus Brigus South Bryant's Cove Cape Broyle Carbonear Chance Cove Chapel Arm Clarke's Beach Colinet Colliers Come By Chance Conception Bay South Conception Harbour Cupids Fermeuse Ferryland Flatrock Fox Harbour Gaskiers–Point La Haye Hant's Harbour Harbour Grace Harbour Main–Chapel's Cove–Lakeview Heart's Content Heart's Delight–Islington Heart's Desire Holyrood Logy Bay–Middle Cove–Outer Cove Long Harbour–Mount Arlington Heights Mount Carmel–Mitchells Brook–St. Catherines New Perlican Norman's Cove–Long Cove North River Old Perlican Paradise Petty Harbour–Maddox Cove Placentia Point Lance Port Kirwan Portugal Cove–St. Philip's Portugal Cove South Pouch Cove Renews–Cappahayden Riverhead St. Bride's St. Joseph's St. Mary's St. Shott's St. Vincent's–St. Stephen's–Peter's River Salmon Cove Small Point–Adam's Cove–Blackhead–Broad Cove South River Southern Harbour Spaniard's Bay Sunnyside Torbay Trepassey Upper Island Cove Victoria Wabana Whitbourne Whiteway Winterton Witless Bay
Unorganized subdivisions	Subdivision A Subdivision B Subdivision C Subdivision D Subdivision E Subdivision F Subdivision G Subdivision H Subdivision I Subdivision J Subdivision K Subdivision L Subdivision M Subdivision N Subdivision O Subdivision R Subdivision U Subdivision V Subdivision W Subdivision X Subdivision Y
Designated places	Bellevue Bellevue Beach Blaketown Brigus Junction Brigus South Burnt Cove, St. Michael's, Bauline South Burnt Point-Gull Island-Northern Bay Calvert Cavendish Dildo Fairhaven Forest Field-New Bridge Freshwater, Conception Bay Georgetown Goulds Grates Cove Green's Harbour Hopeall Lance Cove, Bell Island Little Harbour (East), Placentia Bay Makinsons Markland Marysvale Mobile New Chelsea-New Melbourne-Brownsdale-Sibley's Cove-Lead Cove New Harbour, Trinity Bay North Harbour, St. Mary's Bay O'Donnells Old Shop Patrick's Cove-Angels Cove Roaches Line South Dildo Thornlea Tors Cove
Unincorporated communities	Admiral's Cove Arnold's Cove Station Baccalieu Island Bareneed Black Duck Pond Blow Me Down Bradley's Cove Bristol's Hope Caplin Cove Cuslett Daniel's Cove The Dock Flatrock Goobies Gooseberry Cove Gould's Road Great Barasway Gull Island Hibb's Cove Iona Job's Cove Kingston Little Barasway Little Placentia Sound Lower Island Cove Low Point Mahers Northern Bay Ochre Pit Cove Perry's Cove Point Verde Port de Grave Rantem Red Head Cove Rose au Rue St. Michaels Ship Harbour Swells Cove Trinny Cove Turks Cove Western Bay
See also: Municipalities of St. John's Metropolitan Area Census divisions of Newfoundland and Labrador

• Populated coastal places in Canada
• Designated places in Newfoundland and Labrador
• Local service districts in Newfoundland and Labrador
• Populated places established in the 1800s
• Fishing communities in Canada