A Whitby church that has been in the community for more than 140 years burned down Monday amid suspicion that the fire was deliberately set.

Officials at the scene told CTV Toronto they suspect an arsonist is to blame for the fire after they found a gasoline canister by a broken church window.

"If that was the case, then that would be an intentional act, and we can't imagine why anybody would want to do damage a building that's so important to us and, we believe, to the community as well," said the Rev. Ken Davis of All Saints' Anglican Church.

This isn't the first time the church has been targeted by vandals. In the past three months there have been reports of concrete blocks being thrown through the stained glass window and signs being vandalized.

Brian Winters, Whitby's archivist, said someone tried to burn the church down in 1927 too.

Whitby fire officials say it is too early to determine the cause of the current blaze.

Smoke could be seen pouring out of the church, located at 300 Dundas St., at around 5 a.m. By the time firefighters arrived on the scene, flames had overwhelmed the landmark causing heavy damage to the building's structure, according to Durham police.

Dozens of firefighters were at the scene to battle the blaze. By 8 a.m. crews were trying to put out stubborn spot fires on the roof of the building. Freezing temperatures caused some additional problems, turning excess water on the ground into ice.

Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, who represents the Whitby-Oshawa area as an MP, said he was heartbroken to see the devastaion.

Flaherty said he and his wife, MPP Christine Elliott, were married in the church. Elliott's family has been part of the congregation for decades, he said. "I'm pretty devastated. This has been my family's church since 1927," Elliott said, adding her parents were also married there.

"It's a great loss, because you can't replace a church of this vintage with a new building," Flaherty said.

The church office and hall buildings weren't harmed in the fire. The hall will be used for Christmas services.

Several parishioners gathered outside the church and huddled in prayer.

"It's a real sick feeling to have in your stomach," said one man about the possibility of arson.

CTV Toronto's Tom Hayes reported that if there's any good news, an engineer has determined the church's steeple, rebuilt about a decade ago, is still structurally sound despite the fire.

Church officials told CTV News that 90 Christmas hampers that were meant for needy families in the community were destroyed in the fire. The local Salvation Army branch said it would help the church put together new hampers for the families in time for Christmas.

The fire has also destroyed the Marigold Montessori School that was housed in the church basement. Fire officials told CTV News that there was heavy smoke and water damage throughout the building.

Parents are now scrambling to find an alternate daycare for their children.

Anyone who wishes to help with donations is being asked to call MPP Christine Elliott's office at 905-430-1141.

With reports from CTV Toronto's Austin Delaney and Tom Hayes