Dildo Island

For other uses, see Dildo (disambiguation).

Dildo Island is an island in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is the largest of three islands located at the entrance to Dildo Arm in the bottom of Trinity Bay, off the coast of the neighbouring town of Dildo.

An archaeological excavation in 1995 discovered Dorset artifacts dated to between AD 150 and AD 750. It is believed that these people camped on Dildo Island for the purpose of seal hunting.

In 2001 excavations were begun on a recently discovered Indian site that radiocarbon dated to between AD 720 and AD 960. Evidence of a camp was found with the remnants of a wigwam and hearth. Almost all of the tools were made from purple and blue rhyolites that came from a source in Bonavista Bay roughly 145 kilometres (90 mi) to the north.

John Guy's journal of 1612 suggested evidence of a Beothuk Indian camp on Dildo Island. An English fort was established in the early 18th century to defend the south side of Trinity Bay from the French during Queen Anne's War.

Dildo Island hatchery

A cod hatchery operated on Dildo Island from 1889 to 1896. Created by Adolf Neilsen, funded by the Newfoundland government, the hatchery produced at its peak 200 million cod per year.