That is exactly my point Q. Although I would suspect that if the writer was trying for humour, he would choose the place most directly associated with salt cod.

When I was living in Newfoundland, one day I thought I'd drive out and visit Dildo as a joke. My co-workers looked at me a bit dumbfounded and said, "What do you want to go to Dildo for? There's nothing out there!" To them, the name of the town had no other connotations whatsoever.