The family of Nicole Daniels speaks to commissioner Michelle Audette at the opening day of hearings at the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in Winnipeg on October 16, 2017. A Mi'kmaq activist said she felt the presence of missing and murdered Indigenous women as families gathered in Nova Scotia for this week's community hearings, and their stories of loss deserve to be told.Cheryl Maloney said she sensed a "healing energy" in the air during Sunday's opening ceremonies ahead of the three-days of hearings by the inquiry looking into the deaths and disappearances of Indigenous women and girls. The hearings are being held at Membertou First Nation in Cape Breton. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods

Six stories in the news for Monday, Oct. 30

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FEDS TO DELAY PLANNED INFRASTRUCTURE SPENDING:

The Canadian Press has learned the federal Liberals plan to shift some $2 billion in planned infrastructure spending to future years, reflecting slower-than-anticipated spending on the file. The money will come from multiple funds set up by the Liberals and the previous Conservative government, as well as large-scale projects overseen by Infrastructure Canada. The Liberals have found they can't move cash fast enough out of the federal treasury for infrastructure projects around the country.

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MMIW HEARINGS BEGIN IN NOVA SCOTIA:

Family members and advocates will share the stories of missing and murdered Indigenous women as the national inquiry holds community hearings in Nova Scotia today. Forty witnesses are expected to testify during the three-day hearings at Membertou First Nation in Cape Breton. Many of those set to testify gathered on Sunday for a day of opening ceremonies, which included spiritual events and a community feast.

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BABCOCK'S MURDER TRIAL TO HEAR MORE FROM FRIEND:

A friend of a young Toronto woman who disappeared five years ago is expected to face cross-examination at the first-degree murder trial of two Ontario men today. The Crown alleges Dellen Millard, 32, of Toronto and Mark Smich, 30, of Oakville, Ont., killed Laura Babcock, 23, and burned her body in a large incinerator. Both Millard and Smich have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

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EX-DEPUTY QUEBEC PREMIER RETURNS TO COURT:

Former deputy Quebec premier Nathalie Normandeau and five co-accused are due back in court in Quebec City today for the next step in their fraud-related case. They're scheduled to appear for a preparatory hearing. Normandeau is charged with conspiracy, corruption, breach of trust and fraud in a scheme in which political financing and gifts were allegedly exchanged for lucrative government contracts between 2000 and 2012. She has maintained her innocence.

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TEEN E-CIGARETTE USE LINKED TO SMOKING: STUDY

A large Canadian study suggests teenagers who use electronic cigarettes are at risk of graduating to smoking tobacco. The study of more than 44,000 Grade 9 to 12 students in Ontario and Alberta shows a strong link between so-called vaping and subsequent tobacco use. The researchers found that teens who vaped in the 30 days prior to the start of the study were more likely to start smoking cigarettes and to continue smoking after one year. The study is published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

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VANCOUVER'S NOTORIOUS DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE CHANGING WITH DEVELOPMENT:

Vancouver's notorious Downtown Eastside is changing as entrepreneurs and property developers push into the neighbourhood's periphery. Observers attribute the accelerating trend to skyrocketing real estate prices elsewhere in the city, as well as loosened zoning restrictions and the area's growing reputation as a hip and happening place to be.

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ALSO IN THE NEWS TODAY:

— Prime Minister Justin Trudeau welcomes Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos

— The Alberta legislature starts its fall sitting

— Trial continues for Basil Borutski, charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of three women in the Ottawa Valley in 2015

News from © The Canadian Press, 2017