[3] The club's origins begin in late 2019, when former Canadian national team and Toronto FC player Adrian Cann met local community leader Keaton Robbins who was part of a group who was discussing the possibility of a team in the region,[4] later joined by local business leaders Neil Morton and Richard Wood.

[6] Robbins also connected with Rob Jenkins, who was manager of football operations with Cavalry FC of the Canadian Premier League, who joined the project.

[11][12] The club has previously approached Trent University about potentially using its Justin Chiu Stadium until a permanent facility is completed on Chemong Road.

[16] The club was officially announced in August 2021, announcing their intention to join the semi-professional League1 Ontario in 2022, as well as a women's team in 2023, with businessman Rob Couch serving as majority owner, alongside some other minority owners, as well as Rob Jenkins as Club President with Keaton Robbins also involved.

[21][22] They also announced their intention to build a 74-acre Sports Complex on the edge of Peterborough including a soccer-specific stadium for the club to be completed within three years.

[28] They played their first home match on May 7 at Fleming College, earning their first ever victory, defeating Windsor TFC 3–0, while setting a League1 Ontario attendance record of 1565.

[46] In February 2022, they announced a partnership with Ontario Hockey League club, the Peterborough Petes, to work together with cross-promotional opportunities.

[53] In March 2022, the team announced a partnership with Fleming College for the use of its Sports Complex for Electric City FC's home games.