About GovAnswers

Municipal rules should be easier to find and understand.

GovAnswers brings together municipal bylaws, ordinances and policies, with plain-language summaries and links to the documents behind them. It is an independent project run by Davie Lee, operating as HeyLily, a sole proprietorship.

GovAnswers is not a government agency, municipal office or law firm. The municipality or other issuing authority remains the source of the official rule.

Find the rule and its source

You can look up a municipality, browse a topic and follow the source document. Topics include noise, dogs, parking, fences, backyard fires, zoning and local permits. Some records include extracted facts and section references; others identify a document without a complete answer.

Start with search or browse the covered jurisdictions. Developers and AI assistants can use the data and API documentation.

The Canadian GovAnswers plugin

A free plugin for Canadian municipal bylaw questions is being prepared for public release. Its intended audience is worldwide, while its data scope is Canada. It will help an AI assistant identify the right municipality, retrieve available bylaw information and explain the answer with sources and verification dates.

This first plugin release does not submit applications, obtain marriage licences, pay fines, make purchases or provide live emergency restrictions. The broader GovAnswers website and general API also contain US material and separate zoning features; those are not part of the Canadian plugin's scope.

Coverage has limits

A missing document does not mean that no rule exists, and it does not mean an activity is permitted. Some municipalities have been searched without a verified result; others have not yet been indexed. Coverage can differ from one topic to another in the same municipality.

A verification date describes when a record was checked. It is not a guarantee that every amendment, temporary order or current restriction is included. For a decision that depends on a rule, read the official source and confirm unresolved details with the responsible authority.

Help improve an answer

Found a broken link, an outdated rule or a missing source? Visit Support & corrections or email [email protected].