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                                                                    Exhibit 24.1





                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

                         KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS

     WHEREAS, ALCAN INC., a Canadian corporation (the "Company"), proposes
shortly to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, under the
provisions of the Securities Act of 1934 as amended (the "Act"), the Annual
Report on Form 10-K pursuant to Section 13 or 15 (d) of the Act.

     WHEREAS, the undersigned is an Officer and/or a Director of the Company as
indicated below;


     NOW, THEREFORE, the undersigned hereby constitutes and appoints Serge
Fecteau, D. McAusland and R. Millington and each of them, as attorneys for the
undersigned and in the undersigned's name, place and stead, and in each of the
undersigned's offices and capacities as an Officer and/or a Director of the
Company, to execute and file such Annual Report on Form 10-K, hereby giving and
granting to said attorneys full power and authority to do and perform all and
every act and thing whatsoever requisite and necessary to be done in and about
the premises as fully, to all intents and purposes, as the undersigned might or
could do if personally present at the doing thereof, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that said attorneys may or shall lawfully do, or cause to be
done, by virtue hereof.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 22rd day of
March 2001.

                                 /s/  W.R.C. Blundell
                              ---------------------------
                              Name:   W.R.C. Blundell
                              Title: Director