It was a welcomed offer we couldn’t refuse. So when Adam Dominix and his wife Vanessa invited us to stay a night at their Airbnb, Little Tucked Away, we jumped at the chance. Spacious and modern, with everything at our fingertips and then some, we swiftly settled in.

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The deck had to be the icing on the cake. It didn’t matter if we were listening to the rooster crow in the mornings as we watched the chickens wander the garden as we sipped our coffee or if we were eagerly awaiting the evening lighting of the majestic Dildo sign before heading off to revisit the Dildo Brewery for a few local beverages; Tucked Away was the perfect home-away-from-home.

Scenic & Sensational

Andrew Pretty, who had been front and centre when Dildo made national headlines thanks to late-night sensation Jimmy Kimmel, is the man about town.

With his sidekick, Nielsen, the majestic Newfoundland dog, Pretty is the perfect tour guide. Through his Dildo Cove Heritage Experience and Motorboat Excursions, Pretty uses his fishing heritage and Dildo roots to thrill visitors with the history of Dildo.

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It’s not just a pretty town with an interesting name; there’s a unique history that goes back to this province’s earliest days. From cod hatcheries to protected harbours, Dildo is scenic and sensational when seen from the sea.

Warmly Welcomed

Paula and Dennis McIntyre own the Dildo Boat House, and sailing on their Irish Mist is a return trip we’ve planned to fit in before the season end, on their generous invite.

The icing on the cake aboard the Irish Mist? A traditional boil up by an open fire on the beach. What’s not to love about that?

To the folks in and around Dildo who made us welcomed – from the delightful champaign and orange juice and breakfast on the historic deck at George House with Todd Warren, or enjoying conversation and delighting in the amazing dishes prepared by Raj at Yes B’y Indian Kitchen of Dildo – the people and the town of Dildo made us warmly welcomed. And we’ll be back for that boil-up!

To check out all of our photos from our trip to Dildo, NL, click here. To check out more stories like this one, click here

No staycation is complete without a day – or better yet, an overnighter – spent in the little town with the most curious name. In this special feature, we dine in Dildo, Newfoundland & Labrador, take in the sights with a boat tour across the Dildo cove, tour one of our province’s beloved breweries, and so much more.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

NTV’s Amanda Mews started the Dildo craze when she first visited the town with camera operator Glenn Andrews for a ‘Your Community’ segment.

That Dildo Days feature has since been viewed by millions thanks to ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live, and since then, the brilliance and beauty of Dildo and its people has become even more in the spotlight. Dildo and its Hollywood sister city sign welcomes all who venture into the town, but there’s so much to take in.

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The Herald was welcomed to Dildo this go-round by Adam Dominix and his wife Vanessa, owners and operators of Tucked Away, a stunningly spacious  Airbnb located on Pretty’s Lane, a minute’s walk from the popular Dildo Brewery and other happin’ spots and eateries. With the most perfect view of the harbour as well as the now-famous Dildo sign, Tucked Away is a treasure of a spot to hang one’s hat.

TOURING THE TOWN

Town Councilor Andrew Pretty, who was front and centre in the Kimmel for Mayor story, has an enthusiastic itinerary planned for me and Michael Chubbs, our Social Media/photography guru.

Our first stop is Dildo Brewing Co. & Museum and we are greeted by Brewer Lionel Rodrigues. As we tour the visually stunning facility, Rodrigues informs us that a visit is about more than just beer as the kitchen goes through between three and four hundred pounds of potatoes a day.

As we taste a few of the brewery’s best offerings – from succulent sours to a spectacular stout – Rodrigues fills us in on his best guess as to where the town’s name originated. D’isle d’eau is French for water island and, when spoken, to the English ear it does sound like Dildo, he began. Plus, Île d’Yeu is an island just off the coast of western France. It means the island of two harbours, and that’s certainly a good description when you consider Dildo and Dildo Island, where the government of the day operated a cod hatchery from 1889 to 1897.

CAPTAIN DILDO

Our next visit is a short walk away to the Dildo Dory Grill for a bowl of chowder and a shared plate of their famous fish and chips. We sit outside and take in the views – including snapping a photo or two with the resident Captain Dildo.

After an afternoon and evening of beer and battered fish, it’s time to head back to Tucked Away to relax on the spacious deck and to watch the friendly neighbourhood chickens and the resident rooster clown around the rustic rural property.

It’s time for a walk and minutes away from our staycation spot is Anderson’s Cove Beach. It’s a glorious spot to watch the sunset, though we hustle back to watch the lights come on the Dildo sign.

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In the morning, it’s off to visit Todd Warren at George House Heritage Bed & Breakfast. Coffee and orange juice with a little kick is our first offering before Warren delivers a stunning breakfast of homemade treats.

25 years of love has gone into this historic property built in 1885 and Warren’s pride shows. Visitors return time and time again, and it’s little wonder as views of the harbour are second to none, with the front porch and garden area a delight to relax in.

STUNNING SEA ADVENTURE

Next, we visit Andrew Pretty and take a tour around the area in his traditional motorboat with an iconic make and break putt-putt engine. Pretty’s tour company, Dildo Cove Heritage Experience and Motorboat Rides, is a stunning sea adventure filled with history and photographic opportunities. The earliest recording of the name Dildo was on Dildo Island and that was 1711.

Pretty has his own thoughts on where the name originated. Bilbo, the Basque name for Bilbao which was the major city in the Basque Country of northern Spain, is one option. Somewhere along the line the ‘b’ was changed to ‘d,’ he surmised.

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Another option? Dos Islas is Spanish for two islands, and Dildo has that. We tour the area by sea and experience the attraction of this place for ourselves. At land, we visit Nielsen, Pretty’s Newfoundland dog. It’s been quite the afternoon, but the day is not done. It’s lunchtime and we head to Yes B’y Indian Kitchen of Dildo and visit with the delightful Sulagna Sanyal and Raj Menon.

MILLION-DOLLAR VIEW

The couple moved here in 2019 following a short visit to the area while taking a break from their busy jobs and at times crazy life in Fort McMurray, Alberta.

“It’s been an interesting roller coaster ride opening a business during a pandemic,” shared a still upbeat Sanyal, who admitted the two made the decision to purchase their seaside home with the million-dollar view after an hour-long sit down in the Avalon Mall.

Their home, Trinity Paradise, is available as a popular Airbnb, and the couple share they love meeting patrons.

“Dildo has quickly become home and the people are the friendliest in the world. We feel like we’ve been welcomed in by family,” Sanyal shared as she handed over the tastiest smelling to-go lunch ever.

We head back to the waterfront to enjoy our Yes B’y meal before heading to visit Dildo Boathouse Inn and chat with owners Dennis and Paula McEntegart. Their boat, the Irish Mist, was the last boat built in the boathouse before it was converted to an inn.

Dennis actually built the boat with his father and he purchased the family property back in 1992. The couple had been operating boat tours of the area for over 17 years, but four years ago they decided to convert the building into an inn and a restaurant.

“It’s been a rough couple of years with COVID, but meeting people is still the best part.”

“We take anywhere between six to 12 people and we get a commercial diver to come with us to dive for scallops and we have cultured steamed mussels. The diver goes down and we’ll prepare on the boat whatever he got in that bag; scallop, sea urchins – it’s all turned into a feast, and then we pair it off with some green salad and potato salad,” Paula explained.

While we can’t stick around to experience the sea with them today, we promise to return.

Our next stop is The Treasure Trove for a chat with Lynette Reid. From unique houseplants to whale-tale tablet/phone stands, Reid has a little delightful something for everyone. It’s Christmas all year ‘round at the Treasure Trove, but there’s also Fall delights to be picked through and discovered.

SPECIAL & UNIQUE

With Moonjelly handcrafted jewelry and Faith Greenhouses of Lewisporte offerings, there’s a little, adorable something for everyone to be uncovered. Plus, it’s the real spot to stop in for a yarn and to find out some local can’t-miss stopovers, like the legendary Blue Whale Lounge on the way out – or into– town.

It’s time to head back to the city, but what’s clear is that no matter where we visited in and around Dildo, the people, as well as the place with the curious name, is what makes this town so very special and unique.

For more, including many extra snapshots from our Dildo adventure, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, or check out our image gallery here!

Perhaps we should not have been surprised. Support for PERT has not been overwhelming at least from “parties in interest.”

The PCs and the NDP both had issues with Premier Furey’s videotaped reaction release. Well, so what? Taped or not taped is not the big issue facing Newfoundland and Labrador right now. There are other things that need attention. Simply put, the big issue is layoffs, taxes, service reductions, and alternatives. Political parties and unions do not like that conversation.

‘PUNCH IN THE GUT’

From NAPE (Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees) to the NLTA (Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association) to MUNFA (Memorial University of Newfoundland Faculty Association) and all points in between labour organizations are seeking to protect what they have.

That’s exactly what is NOT needed now, but by definition, labour organizations are self-interested. Dean Ingram of the NLTA representing the province’s teachers said the Greene Report was like “a punch in the gut.”

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He said the report had suggestions that will “devastate communities especially in rural Newfoundland and Labrador.” Here is a news flash. Rural Newfoundland and Labrador is already devastated.

Whole sections have emptied out. The question now in education is how many teachers and how many schools we need to provide services or, stated more bluntly, can we afford to provide the same services as in the past? That’s true with education. It’s certainly true in the health care system, which is performing poorly and costs too much.

THE GREENE FAMILY

As an aside, here’s my personal reaction to NAPE and some words said. While their position is not unexpected, I should add that I did not like references to “Dame Greene of the United Kingdom” as if her place of residence made a difference.

I hope that does not catch on in Alberta where so many Newfoundlanders work. Moya Greene by the way was briefly with NTV. I knew her as being sharp as a tack. Her brother Austin also worked in the NTV newsroom. He was one of our best reporters and moved on to CTV. Austin and Moya’s dad also ran our engineering department. That is the Greene family I know from LeMarchant Road in St. John’s.

To say Dame Moya Greene is from the United Kingdom is not quite fair. I just hate when people try to play that card. It adds nothing to the argument.

Where is there good news? Last weekend the NTV “Question of the Week” showed overwhelming support for the government acting and acting quickly on the Greene Report. It was a straw poll, but it is where I think things are. At least I hope so.

NTV’s Jim Furlong can be reached by emailing: jfurlong@ntv.ca. For more by Jim Furlong, click here!

For more information about the ‘Big Reset’, click here to view the full report, or click here for the executive summary.

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Clifford George has the soul of a poet. A true artist, he sees beauty in all things, including this very writer.

When we arranged to meet to chat about his Solace in the Canvas show at the Christina Parker Gallery, George mentioned how he wanted to wear his red shoes, his fancy bow tie, and his special cap. I couldn’t be outdone!

DRESSED TO IMPRESS

I hit up the divine diva herself, Shelly Neville, and borrowed one of the most glorious gowns she had and showed up ready for the occasion. Playing dress-up made both George’s and my day a little brighter. Pandemic times have been challenging, and a gallery showing — even at the prestigious Christina Parker Gallery — isn’t the rubbing elbows that it used to be.

George grows reflective as we explore each and every piece in his collection. “Time stood still,” George told me. “It’s like a COVID play that has no ending yet. Our younger generation will remember when they grow older, the days when time stood still”.

“The communities gave me a new offering, alone in the silence I found solace in the canvas.”

— Clifford George

LONELINESS IN THE ART

As he embraced “the new normal,” George began to paint. “I found myself, at the beginning of the epidemic, painting in the stillness of my studio to the new normal. I looked back at my sketches or I visited a new place, and I just felt what I wanted to express. It’s all happiness. All my paintings are happy, but it’s also a reminder of how alone we have all been,” he continued.

“This silence is hard to explain,’ he added, “but there is a peace in the silence.” As George reaches out to touch one painting he shared, “I added bits of rock to this from where I painted. It gives texture. Over here I have sand added to the paint from that very beach in the painting. It’s part of my style. It’s a reminder,” he shared.

“A MAGICAL KIND OF WAY”

He paused. “I am overwhelmed with the sounds in my head. Sounds of rivers flowing to the sea, fishermen on the stage head in the morning mist, sun dancing on the rocks. It touches my soul in a magical kind of way. And then, I put it on canvass.” Beautiful words. Stunning artwork. Inspirational man. George loves to share his craft with others, saying that he loves nothing better than a “suffering artist.” “During this period I posted several videos of me painting to inspire others to carry on in this lock downtime.

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I communicated with friends on Facebook; writers, musicians, other artists, and the feedback was tremendous,” he shared. Yes, we were alone, but we could also be together too, he explained. “When spring came in 2020, out I went doing Plein Air painting. I traveled around the Avalon and down to Twillingate where Art at the Gate organized a Plein Air painting video with myself and J.C. Roy for educational purposes.” The sights and sounds captivated him, he added. While he has a favourite place to paint (Salvage), there’s beauty to be found everywhere, he said with a smile. Every little community has a story to tell. And every place, no matter how big or small, is worthy of being captured on canvass.

SOUNDS OF THE TOWNS

“While I was painting, I could hear the sounds of each community. There were dogs barking, cars driving by, people calling out to me to say hello, crows were cawing and the wind was blowing through the coves. I captured it all. I stayed and traveled around the area and did some more painting in Little Harbour, Purcell’s Harbour, etc. In the evenings, J. C. and myself would have a few drinks and talk about days gone by, it was great to laugh and get reacquainted again.” There was more travel. Gander Bay, Musgrave Harbour, Lumsden, Cape Frees, Green’s Pond, New West Valley, all placed George considered “a painters dream.”

“TIME WAS IN A TRANCE”

“Travelling for miles, the shoreline seemed to go on forever. Communities were in silence, signs on the road said restaurant ahead and signs listed a special, but the sign on their doors said closed due to Covid. The only thing moving was the clothes on the lines and they were all flapping in the wind. “Time was in a trance, waiting for the curtains to open and for life to start up again. I painted life in these communities. I learned the stories and I listened to the sounds.”

“…the loneliness I saw out in the world was telling me that other people might want to see these paintings.”

— Clifford George

As we sashayed around exploring the paintings, as we poured through his glorious sketches and read his poetic ponderings, as we happily posed for picture after picture, as we laughed at one another’s jokes, there was still a sense of the magnitude of this pandemic that George had painted his way through. “The communities gave me a new offering, alone in the silence I found solace in the canvas, thus the show’s name. It gave me peace and it gave me joy,” he said. Something else that gave him joy? Playing dress up for The Herald as we helped kick off his show in fine style, in spite of the realities of the pandemic.

THE FEELING OF STILLNESS

“This has made all this painting worth it. It was like the loneliness I saw out in the world was telling me that other people might want to see these paintings.” When COVID came into the world it changed so much, he added. “Our way to create changed and most of my paintings were done during a time when everyone stayed away. All along the coast clothes swayed in the wind, but even the clothes lines looked lonely and not a soul could be seen. Stores stood, but all the doors were locked.” His Solace in the Canvass collection captures that. “The feeling of stillness is there. It’s hard to explain, but I did find solace in the canvas, and I hope others find that too.”

For more on Clifford George and the Christina Parker Gallery, visit christinaparkergallery.com. For more stories by Pam Pardy, click here, or visit our new Instagram page for story updates as they happen.

Correction: A previous version of this story misattributed authorship.

After the remarkable success of the 2018 Newfoundland and Labrador Beard and Moustache Club’s (NLBMC) campaign, the MerB’ys are back to do it all over again in 2019. 

‘SILLY PROJECT’

The 2018 campaign, which revolved around a calendar of bearded, mermaid-tailed Newfoundlanders posing by the sea, at a barbershop, and in a pumpkin patch, raised over $300,000 for local mental health organization Spirit Horse NL, a service that builds mental health and life skills for children and adults as they ride and care for horses. 

Creator of the MerB’ys, Hasan Hai, says that the project was intended to break down barriers and promote a broader definition of masculinity. He said the “silly project” went from an idea, to a printed calendar, and eventually became a global hit, all while working towards helping the greater good. 

“The MerB’ys calendar is an extension of our club, NLBMC, values. Showing masculinity to be a broader spectrum than it is traditionally shown as. We can be vulnerable, emotional, whimsical and have fun all at the same time,” Hai expressed in an interview with The Newfoundland Herald. 

“Our first meeting in January 2017 was just two people, myself included. We had fish n’ chips at The Duke and hung out for an hour or so before calling it a day. Over the next few months, we grew at a very modest rate. A few more people showed up every month until we had a dozen or so. By July when we marched in the Pride parade,” Hai explained.

“In August 2017, I put out an open call via my personal Facebook account when the idea of the calendar first came to me. That resulted in a dramatic spike in local interest in the club. Dozens of people began reaching out to us wanting to learn more, and it has continued to grow since then. We went from zero to a very powerful and well-known name within this province, across the country, and even internationally in a matter of months!” 

LOCAL TO INTERNATIONAL

Initially, Hai and the rest of the MerB’ys admittedly only expected to sell somewhere between 250 to 300 copies. In early November, Hai reached out to Buzzfeed Canada, an independent digital media company delivering news and entertainment across platforms like Facebook, Snapchat, YouTube, and more. 

“They immediately got back to me for an interview,” Hai said. 

“Their article and video went viral and pushed us to places we never could have reached otherwise. National media jumped all over us, as did international in the US and all around the world.”

So, what do the bearded, tailed hunks have in store for us in 2019? Another juicy calendar, of course. 

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This year, Hai says the plan is to include people and places from all over the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, having recently taken a seven-day road trip from St. John’s to Happy Valley-Goose Bay, with 41 fresh new MerB’ys to be featured. 

“The production value of this years’ calendar is going to be exponentially higher than last years as we actually had some semblance of a plan this time around, including bringing in the photography firm of Roth & Ramberg,” Hai shared.

“Our club has also moved to a new level of organization, having registered as a non-profit and formed an executive board which meets monthly. I have a great team working with me to create monthly volunteer and social events, such as Haircuts for Hope where local barbers and hairdressers provide free haircuts for people in our community who need it.” 

VIOLENCE PREVENTION

As for this years’ charity of choice, Hai says the selection process involved almost 40 local charitable organizations, with NLBMC coming to the conclusion that 2019’s charity of choice will be Violence Prevention Newfoundland and Labrador, a coalition of Violence Prevention organizations across the province. “Their proposed project is titled ‘Deconstructing Masculinity – Engaging Men in Violence Prevention.’ This project will challenge negative attitudes of masculinity and consequently empower men to become meaningfully engaged in violence prevention”.

Pre-order your copy of the 2019 MerB’ys calendar now at nlbmc.com, follow the official “Mermob’ile” and social media posts using the hashtag #MerBys2019 to keep up-to-date with their progress and announcements.  

For more by Krystyn Decker, click here.