Newfoundland town of Dildo lights up sign in support of Ukraine

Andrew Pretty with the town of Dildo says the sign is now lit up in blue and yellow in a show of support for the people of Ukraine, who are facing an invasion from the Russian armed forces. (SOURCE: Facebook/ Local Service District Of Dildo)

DILDO, N.L. — A Newfoundland town with a peculiar name has turned its Hollywood-style sign into a glowing beacon of support for Ukraine.

On Sunday night, the large block letters atop a high, rocky cliff spelling out the town's name — Dildo — were lit up blue and yellow to reflect the colours of the Ukrainian flag and the town's support for Ukraine's people. The European county is battling an invasion from the Russian armed forces.

Andrew Pretty, who sits on Dildo's community committee, said he and his colleagues wanted to show their solidarity with Ukraine.

"I think everyone is horrified by what's happening — their democracy is under threat and their residents are in danger," Pretty said in an interview Monday. "We just felt we could do this little thing to support them."

The "Dildo" sign was installed in 2019 with the help of American late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel. It was put up as part of a bit on Kimmel's show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, in which he made a bid to become the community's mayor.

Dildo doesn't actually have a mayor — it's known as a local service district and it operates with the oversight of a committee. Pretty said it was the committee that decided to light up the sign in Ukraine's colours.

He said the thought came to him on Sunday morning. When he picked up his phone to relay the idea, there were already several messages from people who had thought about doing the same thing, he said.

A bed and breakfast near the sign is letting the town use its electricity to power the lights, he added. The sign is usually lit red and green for the Christmas holiday, but this is the first time it's been used for a political message, he said.

Pretty said he's not aware of any Ukrainians in Dildo, but he said the committee felt it should stand with the embattled country.

"We're going to leave it up for a little while yet," he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 28, 2022.