The Nova Scotia government has cut the application fee for freedom of information requests to $5.00 from $25.00, effective August 14.

The fee had been the highest in Canada, matched only by Alberta.  Most jurisdictions charge $5.00 or have no fee at all. Saskatchewan municipalities charge a little more than $20.

When a member of the public or reporter has to file several requests, the difference in fees becomes significant. For example, under the new Nova Scotia fee, it will cost $25 to file five requests, while it would have cost $125 under the old fee structure. Here is the link to the Nova Scotia government release.