In Ontario fees are applicable in two circumstances. One is the initial fee for submitting a FOI request. In Ontario it's nominal. I think it could easily be eliminated. It strikes me as being more of an administrative burden than anything else. Institutions can also charge a fee for responding to the request itself. If the request is for a person's own personal information, generally that's a fairly nominal charge, if there is any charge at all. If you're looking for general records, there are occasions where that fee can be substantial. We have the ability to review a decision and strike down a fee if we feel it's too large.
I think fees, if they're not eliminated, at least could present an opportunity to leverage the system. In other words, if an institution or a ministry does not respond in time, or if there are delays, you could construct the legislation so that they forgo the right to charge a fee.