EXHIBIT 31.1
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             CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-14 OR 15d-14 OF THE
            SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934, AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
                 SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

        I, John W. Weaver, certify that:

1.   I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 6-K of  Abitibi-Consolidated
Inc.;

2.   Based on my knowledge,  this report does not contain any untrue  statement
of a  material  fact or omit to state a  material  fact  necessary  to make the
statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were
made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3.   Based on my  knowledge,  the  financial  statements,  and other  financial
information  included in this report,  fairly present in all material  respects
the financial condition,  results of operations and cash flows of the issuer as
of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.   The  issuer's  other   certifying   officer  and  I  are  responsible  for
establishing and maintaining  disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in
Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial
reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules  13a-15(f) and  15d-15(f))  for the
issuer and have:

     (a)  Designed  such  disclosure  controls and  procedures,  or caused such
          disclosure   controls  and   procedures  to  be  designed  under  our
          supervision,  to ensure  that  material  information  relating to the
          issuer, including its consolidated subsidiaries,  is made known to us
          by others within those  entities,  particularly  during the period in
          which this report is being prepared;

     (b)  Designed such internal  control over financial  reporting,  or caused
          such internal  control over financial  reporting to be designed under
          our  supervision,  to  provide  reasonable  assurance  regarding  the
          reliability of financial  reporting and the  preparation of financial
          statements  for  external   purposes  in  accordance  with  generally
          accepted accounting principles;

     (c)  Evaluated the effectiveness of the issuer's  disclosure  controls and
          procedures  and  presented in this report our  conclusions  about the
          effectiveness  of the disclosure  controls and procedures,  as of the
          end of the period  covered by this report  based on such  evaluation;
          and

     (d)  Disclosed in this report any change in the issuer's  internal control
          over financial  reporting that occurred  during the period covered by
          the quarterly report that has materially  affected,  or is reasonably
          likely to  materially  affect,  the  issuer's  internal  control over
          financial reporting; and

5.   The issuer's other certifying  officer and I have disclosed,  based on our
most recent  evaluation of internal  control over financial  reporting,  to the
issuer's  auditors and the audit  committee of the issuer's  board of directors
(or persons performing the equivalent function):

     (a)  All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or
          operation of internal  control  over  financial  reporting  which are
          reasonably likely to adversely affect the issuer's ability to record,
          process, summarize and report financial information; and

     (b)  Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other
          employees  who  have a  significant  role  in the  issuer's  internal
          control over financial reporting.



Dated:   November 6, 2007

                                          /s/ John W. Weaver
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                                          John W. Weaver
                                          President and Chief Executive Officer